The picture of this warrior is fuzzy on purpose; the story is told with the approval of the warrior, although extreme prodding was required. The benefits of sharing it to help others learn about dreams and the importance of books finally won the approval because, like most heroes, they don’t do it for recognition. As a matter of fact, they prefer none at all. But serving others is what matters to heroes. This is a story I know well because it is about the man I married. As a young boy he read a lot of BOOKS, he still does. His collection is one to be noticed. He read about freedom, history, the wild west, cowboys, soldiers, patriots, heroes and service to others, he still does. These became the fertilizer for the dream he would pick up one day that was laying in the gutter as he rode his bike home, “The Green Berets”. He was 11 years old and he read it 19 times, yes he remembers that, and each time the seed sprouted a few more roots. I don’t believe in coincidences, and this was not one. As he went through his High School and College years it seemed almost forgotten at times. Though many are the plans in a man’s heart; the Lord’s purpose prevails-Prov 19:21. To keep the story from being too long trust me when I say that many times this dream and goal was almost forfeited due to discouragement from others, endless obstacles, gaps in faith and difficult circumstances. But once again I am reminded of the power of God’s divine order for our lives. All the statistics were against this becoming a reality. Around a third who try are “selected” to attend the qualification course. Two thirds make it through that course. They are highly trained; known as the “Quiet Professionals”. Their mission? To free the oppressed…”De Opppresso Liber”. What you may not know is these are not just the strongest and bravest…they are also the smartest. They have to qualify intellectually…once again we see the power of BOOKS. Not only has he served his country for 24 years, he has raised four children who are now fulfilling their purposes, but he continues to lead hundreds in a different arena with all the same ideals, beliefs and standards he gained from following his path. Many lives have been changed and are changed every day…due to a tattered, discarded BOOK! That, my friends, is the power a BOOK holds.
Read a BOOK
Find your purpose
Chase a dream
Change the world
To learn more about the Green Berets watch “Surviving the Cut” on youtube.
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