“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”  John 15:13

Memorial Day was this week in our country.  It is a time to remember all military personnel who have given their lives in the service of their country.  My nephew gave his life in Afghanistan, so it is an especially sad time for our family.  This verse reminds me of our dear Savior who gave his life 2000 years ago on Calvary’s hill outside the walls of Jerusalem.  He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.  He came to that which was his own, but His own did not receive Him.  Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God,” John 1:10-12.  I trust you have received Jesus Christ into your heart.  It’s a wonderful life to know Jesus as your personal Savior!

This verse also reminds me of a time my husband Terry and I were serving the Lord with the Navigators in Colorado Springs, CO.  We spent many hours exploring the hills around the Navigator headquarters, hiking the trails and enjoying God’s beautiful creation.  One of our favorite hikes was up a hill overlooking Glen Eyrie castle.  It was an easy walk and at the summit was a gorgeous view of the castle with Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods in the background.  It was definitely a “camera moment!”  However, on that hill was another memorial that brought poignant thoughts of another man who gave his life for another.  His name was Dawson Trotman, the founder of the Navigator ministry.

Dawson was 50 years old, married with 5 children when he accepted a speaking engagement to Word of Life camp in Schroon Lake, New York.  One afternoon while riding in a boat with a few campers, they hit choppy water.  Dawson and a female camper fell off the boat.  Dawson was a strong swimmer, so he held the girl up to keep her from drowning.  After she was rescued, Dawson just slipped away and was drowned.  Billy Graham spoke at Dawsons funeral and said of his last act of heroism, “Daws died the same way he lived—holding others up.”  No greater love….

Dawson did not grow up in a Christian family, although he occasionally went to Sunday school. By the time he was 20, he had no thoughts of God, but God had His eye on him!  He happened to attend a young people’s group where they had a Scripture memory contest.  While working on memorizing the verses, he suddenly realized the logic of the gospel.  He recalled John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life”…Trotman asked himself the question:  Do I have everlasting life?  He got right down on the sidewalk and prayed to Jesus to give him this life!

Dawson never looked back!  He began taking classes as different Bible colleges, but his passion was evangelism.  Although people were saved through him, Dawson realized that many were not discipled, and their walk with the Lord became stifled with lack of spiritual growth.   Thus, the Navigators was born and dedicated to a “follow up” discipleship ministry for men and women.  They were all about not only leading a soul to Christ, but training them to grow up in Christ.  Here are two of his famous quotes:

“If you can’t see very far ahead, go ahead as far as you can see!”

“How do you know if you are a servant?  By how you react when someone treats you as one!”

Your friend, Jean