Courage

As you have probably read throughout my blogs, there are a great many factors that shape our lives. Activities that define us, and shape us into who we can become. Our decisions now will affect, although indirectly, every turn we ever make. Courage is one decision we have to make.

It was miserable in the streets of Iraq. It was 115 degrees plus all of the extra weight that the soldiers carry. We were trying our best to stay hydrated, which was proving a near impossible task. The heat was sucking the energy out of every man in the platoon.

It was dead silent in the streets. The wind was slipping through the alleys unnoticed as the troops slipped through. Silence was definately not the thing that American soldiers like to hear. Nothing was trouble. It was either empty and deserted– which by the recent tracks in the dirt, it couldn’t have been– or there was someone here. Watching. Waiting.

There was gunfire, and the soldiers grouped together and started to move through the streets. Searching for the gunfire. Then, out of nowhere, an explosion rocked the very buildings around them. The men were flung to the ground, and as they looked around, one noticed that the explosion was made by a badly aimed grenade. He saw another being launched toward them, and this time, as the platoon was on the ground, it wouldn’t miss. There was only one thing to do, as the grenade came toward the platoon, the soldier stood, took off his helmet, and covered the grenade. Shielding the rest of the platoon from harm with his helmet, and the rest of his body.

The grenade exploded, turning the helmet and body into shrapnel, but sparing the lives and many injuries that couldn’t have been dealt with. The rest of the platoon rose to their feet, to meet the fire, knowing what that man had given his life for them. They were all to live and fight another day.

This is courage. This is comradship at its finest. This is love. This is freedom.

I will compare courage to freedom because without couage nobody could have freedom. Religious freedom, racial freedom, political freedom, or personal freedom. We make the decisions every day to be free, to buck up, and make the decision to define our lives. For a teenage boy it could be the decision to ask a girl to dance. For an adult it could be to approach their boss and ask for a needed resource. For a child it could be saying no to a drug. For anyone it is coming out of your comfort zone in order to attempt to better your life or anothers life.

Courage is, bravery, and bravery, by one definition, could mean to defy, or dare. To DARE to move forward in a relationship. To DARE to believe. To DARE to ask. To DARE to jump on a grenade, and save a life. It is daring, it is bravery, it is courage, that leads us to do great things. To step out of our little bubbles and make the decision to do something, by your own standard, great. It is to dare to act. It was by daring to believe in God that Moses and his people escaped from Egypt. It was by courage that American soldiers took France on D-Day. It was through bravery that we, as American Citizens, were freed from the British.

I share a quote from The Doctrine and Covenants Section 68 (verse 6)

“Wherefore, beof good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you…”

It is by daring to be great, that we can aspire greatness. Step up, believe, DARE show the world who you are. Dare to be who you want to be.

Dare to believe. Do not fear. Step up, do the impossible.

Superman (To the T)