LONE SURVIVOR: A book review

I overheard my eldest son and my brother-in-law talking about this book; and it sounded good. So, I asked Teresa to reserve it at the library; and then read through the almost 400 pages fairly quickly. That means: I liked the book. I suppose my review could stop there, but that wouldn't be a very good review, would it? The title of this blog entry is the title of the book, with this subtitle: "The eyewitness account of operation Redwing and the lost heroes of Seal Team 10." I enjoy reading, but mostly books about the church and ministry; or personal, spiritual growth. This book is the exception, along with others that are true accounts. I love true stories of history, especially as it relates to defending and protecting our blessed Country.

I'll get the negative on the table right away and out of the way: the language. I would not recommend this book for children, or for those who struggle with foul language if they hear it or read it. The really disappointing part of this is that the author claimed to be a follower of Jesus. The fruit of true repentance, however, was not seen in his writing. Only God knows. Most will forgive the language because of the dangerous life and death circumstances in which he lived, as well as his military background. It could have been left out; but then again, this man's story and life is one that includes this kind of language. It reveals some things about him. So, you are now warned.

Outside of that singular warning, I would highly recommend this book, especially for adult men. It is a patriotic, courageous, and exciting story of a man who went through quite a bit to become a Navy Seal; and then lost his closest teammates while defending our country - almost his own life. For those who like true, military stories of bravery, you can't go wrong with this one. Even though you know how the story basically ends (not a fairy tale or normal Hollywood ending), you will probably do what I did...keep reading to find out what happens next; and keep hoping they all make it out alive. Even the buildup to the main story plot was interesting, to learn how one joins the Seals and the kind of training they go through.

Here is a taste of what you will read, from the first paragraph inside the book cover: "On a clear night in late June 2005, four U.S. Navy SEALs left their base in northern Afghanistan for the mountainous Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader known to be ensconced in a Taliban stronghold surrounded by a small but heavily armed force. Less than twenty-four house later, only one of those Navy SEALs remained alive."

But, as with every book, even the true life stories of military battle, there are things to learn that are in the context of God's truth. Here are the key ones I picked up on:
1) I am forever grateful to those men and women who have served, and serve our country in all kinds of ways and all kinds of places. This gratitude includes their families who may not see their loved ones very often, and in some cases, never see them again. May God bless you all for your sacrifice.

2) It seems, according to the author, that he believes he made a tragic error, when first found by innocent civilians (or atleast they seemed), in not killing them. In letting them go, they were soon surrounded and outnumbered by the enemy; which led to the death of his 3 comrades and then others who joined the fight to rescue them. The spiritual analogy that came to my mind is the fact that we must kill the sin that so easily entangles us; especially when it seems somewhat harmless. If we do not deal harshly with sin and its temptations, it will most likely be back, with more of the enemy, and certainly be after our death. We must take a non-merciful approach to the world's system that is out to destroy us.

3) We have a sovereign God. With all the details of this story, as I thought about all the ways it could have turned out differently, I kept thinking about the sovereignty of God. All the details of this story, full of human elements, were not outside God's sovereignty - even as it relates to non-believers. The same is true about my story...and yours. Whether you see your story as a blessed or cursed one, a safe or dangerous one...whether you are happy with the way your life is going, or not...God is still in control. And He is not that concerned about your happiness, as He is about your spiritual growth. This is about the glory of God. If we could see our stories that way, it would save us a lot of time, as we can concentrate, not on making our lives better, but on glorifying God in all things.