Courage, Duty, and Sacrifice

I just read about this:

HERKIMER, N.Y. – On Thursday morning, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Tactical K-9 “Ape” was killed in the line of duty while accompanying FBI agents who were attempting to arrest Kurt Myers, the suspected killer of four people in Herkimer Wednesday.

Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/WqH0dd

I don’t think I can imagine losing a friend or colleague with whom I’ve worked closely, especially when done to help protect me.  But this dog gave his all, the best of his training, heart, and strength to do just that for his team members.  It kind of makes me think, would I have what it takes to do the same, if I were in such a situation?  After all, it is written:

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

But let me ask you this:  What is more difficult, to lay down your life by dying for someone, or by living for someone?  My thoughts go straight to my mother who passed away in 2003 from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) when she was just 65 years old.  For my entire life, she’d worked tirelessly to serve my family, raise and teach us–her children, and work as a registered nurse, until she’d been diagnosed, just a few years before she died.  She never got to retire until she was wheelchair bound, as the cruel disease slowly robbed her of all voluntary movement.  But one thing I know, she did everything for the love of her family and never hesitated to sacrifice, if it was for their good.

I know she’s in a much better place now, reaping the rewards from the seeds of love she’d sown while here on Earth.  And whenever I think of her, I consider her lifetime of love, courage, duty, and sacrifice, just as honorable and moving as those who did this by dying for their friends and loved ones.

Has anyone ever laid down their life for you, in living or by dying for you? I know this is an emotional topic, but I’d love to hear from you in the comments section at the bottom of this blog post.

Joshua Graham is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, winner of the International Book Award and Forward National Literature Award. His thrillers include DARKROOM, LATENT IMAGE and BEYOND JUSTICE, and TERMINUS. Graham's works have been characterized as thought-provoking page-turners.

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