This being Veterans Day weekend I thought I’d share something about a Marine I knew a little over a decade ago. I only knew him for a few months, but his testimony had a large impact on my life and very grateful and honored to have known him no matter how briefly.
His name was Tim and he had been, I believe, a scout/sniper. He’d left service on a medical discharge. He’d been diagnosed with cancer, which progressed rapidly through the stages. I met him on the final stage.
He was the roommate and friend of a guy I met in a small group I’d attended at my old church in San Diego. Tim was not a person of faith at the time, but the guy in my small group constantly witnessed to him, praying for a thief on the cross type of encounter with Jesus for him.
I was blessed to be there when it happened, he’d finally agreed to come to church and he’d brought his girlfriend. I remember the sermon was about the giants we face in our lives, and Pastor Mike was especially passionate.
When Tim and his girl came in I remember he was so frail. They played the Casting Crowns song “The Voice of Truth,” which talks a great deal about facing giants, during the invitational time and Tim stood suddenly and began to slowly walk down the aisle.
A few of us got together and prayed for him. I remember when we laid our hands on him he felt hot, and you could feel many of the tumors.
He’d gone down the aisle weakly, but when he walked back to his seat he was no longer doing it only on his own power and he was strong.
In the time he had left, Tim did a lot of things, including getting deeper into his relationship with Christ. The details of those things don’t matter to me as much as being there when he made the largest step of his life.
I’ll remember his shaky walk to the altar the rest of my life, and how confident his stride was on the way out. I’m so grateful I knew him.
The voice of truth…
A Work in Progress 