Memorial Day

Memorial Day
A Warrior Twice Over
I thought today would be an appropriate day to introduce you to one of my heroes. He is not exactly someone who would stand out for any specific physical trait, he doesn’t stand ‘head and shoulders above the rest’ and he doesn’t seek to draw any kind of attention to himself. You might not be able to pick my hero out in a crowd, but like most heros, that’s the way he prefers it. He does what’s right because it’s right, he lives his life to the glory of God, loves his wife, loves his children, works an honest job, and lives a life of integrity, not because it gains him ‘friends’ or makes him ‘popular’ but because it is the right, God-honouring thing to do. My hero gave 20 years of service to his country in the United States Navy. When we ask him for stories of his service they usually go along the lines of, “Well, we were in the sea of none-of-your-business doing nothing-you-need-to-worry-about. . .” Once, my cousin asked for an ‘unabridged’ story and with a grin my hero replied, ‘well, I could tell you, but then I would have to shoot you’; my cousin decided the story wasn’t worth it. My hero believes in diligence, perseverance, boldness, and discernment as basic, fundamental character qualities that he needs to develop in his children. While I could go on with the physical service my hero gave and the lasting impression it made on me, I cannot leave out the spiritual service he gave.My hero was born-again 12 years ago; he spent 20 years facing physical giants and the last 12 facing formidable spiritual giants-not because it makes him feel good, but because it’s right. I have watched my hero work through tough issues with sweat and blood, refusing to back down, even when mocked and verbally assaulted. It’s because of this that I am not another “Christian Casualty” like five other kids I’ve known over the last several years who have totally abandoned the faith and left home, much to the grief of all who know them. Watching him fight these battles he given me the courage to persevere when the road gets tough, makes me stand tall and confident, teaches me to depend on Christ as my sufficiency. My hero doesn’t want his passion for Christ and His holiness to go to the grave with him and spends a great deal of time teaching his family the scriptures and explaining to us how to apply the teachings therein. He sits and listens to us pour our hearts and gives us guidance and direction, so that we aren’t wandering aimlessly, trying to figure out what to do with ourselves and picking up baggage on the way.In case you haven’t figured it out, my hero is my father:
Senior Chief Petty Officer Joseph Emmett Hoffman III, USN RET.
I consider it an honor to be a bona fide “Navy Brat” and even more so to have grown up under the love and training of a humble Giant of the Christian Faith.
Daddy, I love you.
Thank you for all your sacrifices over the years, they have not been in vain.

Originally published on May 26th