What does it mean to lay down our lives for Christ and our friends? In John 15, notice Christ’s logic as He taught about sacrificial love. First He said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (verse 12). Then He described the fullest extent of such love: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (verse 13). Jesus died willingly for us and we should be willing to die for Him and our friends. The story I wish to share this month is for one young man’s life that lived to honor the same sacrifice that Christ gave to all of us.
I did not know Lance Corporal Stephen Johnson, however I have grown to know his character and heart over the last couple of weeks through God’s amazing grace and his Mom Lynn. The life’s story of Lance Corp. Stephen Johnson came through divine appointment of God when Lynn set an appointment with my wife Tena for make-up and a hair appointment in the salon. Tena arrived just a bit late to find Lynn reading what looked to be a devotional. Tena apologized for her late arrival and Lynn said, “That it was o.k. because I needed to read this.” Tena set up her station and brought Lynn over to start the lesson. Tena inquired how Lynn came to know about her services. Lynn said that Tena had given her daughter a complementary make-up application and Lynn shared she had been going through a rough time due to a loss in her family. Tena said she was sorry and began the lesson. Lynn asked if she needed to take off her necklaces and Tena said that she would work around them. As Tena was putting on moisturizer she flipped the necklace to the side that was covered by Lynn’s shirt and two military dog tags now rested outside Lynn’s shirt. Lynn and Tena’s eyes met and Lynn said, “It was my son Stephen.” Tena listened as Lynn explained how Stephen knew it was his calling from God to serve in the Marines. Lynn even shared with Tena how she even tried to bribe Stephen with money to go into college, but he knew what he was destined to do. Lynn showed Tena photos of Stephen in his uniform and his name badge that was on his uniform. Tena listened in shock as this brave Mom told how her son came to serve this country and how he had lost his life just three months before. Tena remarked how Lynn had such a Holy glow on her face and the look of love, courage, and peace filled her eyes. Tena said, “If it were me I wouldn’t even be able to get out of bed from the trauma of her son’s death.” Lynn shared how God sustained her on a daily basis knowing Stephen was in Heaven and how God had continually carried the family through the ordeal. Tena said, “Maybe that is why God sent you here to help one of our employees Denise who lost her only nephew Corporal John T. Olson and still dealt with the loss.” Tena said that in fact we had started a ministry that God shared with another employee June Smith. God shared with June that I would paint a painting called “Freedom” to make prayer cards that would be sent to the men and women fighting in Iraq. Tena pointed out the painting hanging on the wall and Tena said Lynn’s face just went quiet as she stared at the painting. Lynn shared with Tena when Stephen returned home along with his belongings in his wallet was one of the “Freedom” prayer cards that a blonde-haired lady gave him the last time he was in church at Hebron.
My wife fell apart knowing that God had arranged this divine appointment. Tena said she couldn’t do her make-up at that moment due to the emotional wave hitting her from the story. The girls at the reception area told me Tena needed me in the office and I proceeded to go into the office to find Tena sobbing uncontrollably. When I asked what was wrong Tena shared with me Lynn’s story about Stephen and possessing the prayer card in his wallet. I felt compelled to give Lynn one of the prints we have of the painting for her sacrifice and loss of her son. I wrote on the back words describing my sympathy and appreciation for her son’s sacrificial life. I went out of the office to find Lynn in her stylist’s chair and I told her how touched I was by Stephen’s life and told her I wanted her to have the print Lynn thanked me and told me Stephen had been at Hebron one week before he left for Iraq and a lady came up to him and shook his hand, thanked him for the job he was doing and gave him her last prayer card. Lynn said she thought it was something Hebron was doing for the military serving our country. I told Lynn that the woman who gave Stephen the card was right there and pointed to June in the salon.
God had arranged a young man’s life to connect his Mom Lynn, my wife Tena, June who received the vision from God and gave him the prayer card, my life from a painting called “Freedom,” and now countless others who will read about Stephen’s sacrifice for the country he loved so much. As I stood before this Mom who showed such courage and the love of God I became emotional myself and went back to my wife in the office.
As I walked into the office I sat down and just stared straight ahead. My wife through her tears said, “Do you see your life does make a difference, what you do does make a difference.” Her comment came over me like a tidal wave because in our lives we may never get to see a harvest from the seeds we plant in our lives for the Kingdom of God. A person can come to a place where he or she will even question if they make a difference or why they even try. It can be a long journey in the desert before a person will come to an oasis. God had shown me through this young man’s life and his honorable death anything we do matters to God. Here a miraculous blessing knowing a vision from God had come full circle from God’s vision to a painting, a young man’s life and a prayer card traveling half way around the world and back to it’s origin through Stephen’s sacrificial love. But the greatest difference was made by Lance Corporal Stephen Johnson and all the fallen men who have given their lives for you and me. These young men understand why they are there and what Jesus meant when he described to his friends the cost of love in its truest form. Too many scenic and critics find it easy to complain about our President, war and their more practical solutions of handling the situations of war we all face. But the truth of the matter is men like Lance Corporal Stephen Johnson realize the calling God put into their hearts. The same calling He gave to His son Jesus for our salvation and our eternal “Freedom.” Listen to Stephen’s heart as he shares this sacrificial love for his family, the country he loved so much, for you, and for me:
Family, Pre-Deployment Leave, June 2006
What’s up? You’re reading this cause I’m not coming back from Iraq. I signed into the Marines because I felt I had a job to do, more a less a duty that I felt I needed to do for our country. After September 11th I felt I needed to go to war to protect our country but most importantly for my family and friends. It’s a dangerous thing to go into war and fight for something that is 8,000 miles away. But I felt it was something I needed to do. I chose not to further my education by going to college or get a good paying job, but I felt that it was more important to risk my life in defending the country that I love so much. You must always remember the boys that have died for our country. Old men start wars but teenagers fight them. Always remember that. The average Marine is 19 years old. Right out of high school. Never forget us and the sacrifices that we have made to sustain our great amount of liberty. We have given up being away from home for a great amount of time, not seeing our family and friends, and giving up our own liberties. We as Marines know what we have to do for our country and to keep it safe. We know the cost of war and that Marines will die in combat. We are trained very well but are not invincible. All I ask is that you not forget me and my fellow Marines. When you think every now and then about your freedom know that Marines and other military branches are there to protect that from anyone else trying to take it away. This is the greatest country on the planet Earth and I’ll be damned before I let any terrorist take that away from my family or friends. I did not think about myself when I signed into the Marines. I was thinking about my friends and family and their freedom. If it takes my life to protect them then that’s what I have to do. People make sacrifices all the time but it is the ones that make that ultimate sacrifice for their country that are the most honorable. It is the selflessness that makes a US Marine great. Do not forget your fallen Marines.
I love all you so much. You all know why I did this and why I made the choice. I wanted to keep my country free from terrorists and to help keep ya’ll safe. If it took my life to protect anyone’s life in the family then I would do it. If anyone’s life was to be taken I would have stepped in and substituted mine for theirs. It is an ultimate sacrifice that I was willing to make and I made it. I was destined to do this and do not regret any part of it. All I wanted was for ya’ll to be safe…and to live a carefree life without any worries of terrorist in the community. I may have not showed it all the time but I love all you so much. I’m going to miss all you so much but will see all of you again in time. I am looking down on all you from Heaven…so be good! Hahaha. By the way…Mom…remember when I was on pre-deployment leave at Mur’s…that’s why I was always on the computer…I was writing this. But I don’t want any of ya’ll to grieve over me but be happy because your son gave his life for his country that he loved so very much. Mom, Dad, Philip, Eliza, Olivia, Mark, David, little Benjamin, and little Joanna…I love all you so much!!!!! All of you meant the world to me. All I ask is to tell our story of us in battle fighting for our country…and that we did not die for nothing. Remember us.
Love ya’ll…
P.S. It is not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country. JFK
LCpl Johnson
2/8 Golf Company, 2nd Platoon
Before I received the envelope Lynn brought to me with Stephen’s letter of love for his family and friends I decided to ask Lynn if there would be some way I could share Stephen’s message of sacrificial love. When I left the office Lynn was now back with Tena getting her make-up done and I asked Lynn, “Lynn I feel I need to put Stephen’s story into words to honor his life and his sacrifice.” I knew it was very personal and I asked her to pray about it with her husband and let me know if it would be alright to honor her son. The next day Lynn came with the envelope that contained Stephen’s memorial service, these photos of Stephen and his letter of love, remembrance, and good-bye. I opened the envelope when I got home and read the letter. I trembled as I read as tears began to pour from my eyes listening to his heart. A wave burst forth when I read Stephen’s last request. “All I ask is to tell our story of us in battle fighting for our country…and that we did not die for nothing. Remember us.”
I remembered what I had asked Lynn if I could tell Stephen’s story and just held my hands over my eyes. I thanked God for a man like Stephen who did not even know me but died for me, and I thanked Jesus for being the example this young man strived to live like and his sacrifice of love he gave to us just like Jesus. In the envelope it contained some words written about Stephen by Lt. Col. Kenneth M. Detreux and a friend of Stephen’s Lance Cpl. Nickolas M. Reisman. Detreux said, “He had a determination and work ethic that was infectious among his squad and platoon. In his first two months in theater he developed a reputation of being very cool under fire, always composed and always looking out for his fellow Marines.” Reisman, a close friend of Stephens stated how he remembered learning from the way Stephen lived his life. Reisman said, “He always made the best out of any situation and looked forward to what the next day would bring. He taught me how to be passionate in all that I do and how to be dedicated to those closest to me.”
I have done my best to introduce you to a young man, who was like any other teenager and received a calling from God. Stephen grew closer to God and carried His will for his life to his untimely death. I pray I have shared Stephen’s heart, honored him, paid tribute to the United States Marine Corps, the country Stephen loved so much, and glorified our Lord Jesus Christ. These were the hopes the Johnsons wanted me to accomplish in sharing Stephen’s story. I am continuing the ministry of the “Freedom” prayer cards in memory of Stephen and all of the fallen men and women in our military. We have sent 14900 prayer cards over to Iraq but have a long way to go in our ministry. With the recent address from President Bush there will be another 21500 men and women sent over to Iraq. There are just over 100,000 young men and women right now over 8,000 miles away fighting for our liberties that many people take for granted. Each believing that their sacrifice will protect your community, mine, and even the people who choose to overlook their sacrifices in battle. In closing I would ask everyone to thank God for our young men and women and pray for their protection daily. Please help me share Stephen’s story with everyone you believe needs a blessing and please remember they did not die for nothing…they died for you. I love you Lance Cpl. Stephen Johnson….thank you for the love you gave for me.
In His Grip,
