Taking Chance

It's not a typo.

God works in mysterious ways. I have always believed that. It seems about the time I wonder if God is paying any attention in my life, He points me in a direction I had no intention to go. I rented this movie. I had never heard of it before. No one had ever told me about it. I am not a semper fi, do or die type individual. I am insanely proud of our troops. This is not a partisan choice. I am proud of them, not because they are protecting our freedom, although that is part of it. I am proud, primarily, that they die for their brothers next to them. I am proud that they demonstrate a bond that cannot be replicated without a certain level of sacrifice that, unfortunately, most of us do not get to implement. I am honored to loudly and obnoxiously state GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS to anyone that would listen. I do not believe I am alone in this, but this movie made me really appreciate a side of our military that most outsiders are not familiar with.

The military escort for a fallen brother.

This process was so deliberately illustrated without saying a word. As a viewer, I could objectively see how marines form a bond beginning at recruitment, continuing through boot camp and the battlefield, and even in death. No man is left behind is not just a saying established in battle. It extends when a soldier is killed in the line of duty. It was an eye opening experience for me to see, not just what happens, but how, in this particular soldier's story, the public honoring a stranger. As a society, these deaths are just newsworthy for a brief moment and skipped over, not giving credence to the sacrifice given by the soldier and also the family. Sure, the soldier know what the consequences are for entering battle, but they do so without hesitation. They do so to protect their brothers, their family both in war and in peace. They do what outsiders may think is a worthless cause. Names of the fallen soldiers are attached to a presidency when in reality, politics is not what drives these men and women to do their duty. At least, not domestically. I'm sidetracked.

An escort will accompany the remains of a fallen soldier home, to a funeral director, and will pass on the personal effects to the family. The story was amazing. Any movie based on true events, and one without addition of un-Godly amounts of cinematic license, is one that will catch my attention. This was one of those movies. I watched it twice,back-to-back, because I wanted to see dedication defined. Without going into too much detail, it is a story of a stranger accompanying a stranger, to pass him on to strangers and everything in between. Watch a trailer. Read the story about it online. Then go rent it. It will change the way you view things. I guarantee that.