A Fallen Hero

I am pretty sure I mentioned in an earlier post about former HU Bison football player Micah Gifford being killed in Iraq. This weekend we had a memorial service for Micah on the campus of Harding. Many friends and teammates were here for the service. Several of those folks got up and told their memories of Micah. For me, the most powerful part of the service was when his parents went to the microphone to talk about their son who had been killed. Hearing them talk about their son, we were left with no doubts as to how much they loved him, or how much they will miss him. It was heart wrenching. But the thing that will always stand out to me about their separate talks will be the fact that both parents glorified God in their talks.......at a time when it would be so easy to be bitter. I didn't hear a hint of bitterness. It seems like it happens a lot to me these days, but that was another foot washing for me........and I am pretty sure it was also for the other several hundred folks who were there with me.

The following comments were made by Micah's father Dale at the memorial:

“As parents, we dream of all of us coming together for a wedding. We don’t prepare for something like this. You fought the weather to come, and we appreciate your presence. It speaks highly of your love for Micah. I want to thank Harding University for being the kind of a school that allowed my son to question his faith surrounded by many of you who helped him through. After Harding, Niki and Micah found each other and planned to marry in August. On an outing before he left, they were watching the Shamu show at Disneyland. He told of how they asked the men and women who were in the military to stand. Micah said that he felt uncomfortable because he was not a hero yet. Micah had been raised on Transformers and a Knight Rider Big Wheel. McGyver and the Terminator were his heroes. McGyver inspired his mullet that he wore too long. He thrived on the action in Top Gun, and his favorite movie was Braveheart. He loved the heroes from the Bible, David’s mighty men and firemen.
When Micah saw on the news the magnitude of the war and terrorists killing innocent Americans and children, he was deeply troubled about how wrong this was. Two days later, he joined the Army. The irony is we have received letters from two of Micah’s heroes: President George W. Bush and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Losing his life to terrorist bomber did not make Micah a hero. He had been a hero his whole life. He had a heart for others….from the church camps, youth groups, mission trips to Honduras and Mexico to talking to his fellow soldiers in Iraq about Christ. He wanted to learn the language so he could teach the Iraqi children. My son is gone, and there is one less hero in this room full of heroes. By helping others, you are hero. Micah kept telling me that I needed to get off my church pew and get out where people are hurting. He died in the pursuit of justice. We must be heroes of truth and mercy and fight the great wrongs. When the soldiers came to our door, our worst nightmare came to pass on December 7, 2006, but it is no way a tragedy for he is precious in the sight of the Lord. Christians need to declare war with truth and love on wrong teaching and wrong living. There is victory in truth and mercy in the name of our Lord.
Micah took three weapons with him to Iraq: a M16, a strong faith and a huge smile. He lives on in the lives of the Iraqi children and in our hearts. Nothing would make Micah happier than for us to get out of our pews and get into the field.”

May God richly bless and comfort the Gifford family. Thank-you God for giving us Micah for the time he was with us. We look forward to being united with you and him in the future.