In a little over a month we will observe the one year
anniversary of the F5 tornado that hit our fair city of Joplin on May 22, 2011.
The storm caused record breaking
destruction and death. Families and
friends are still mourning the loss of loved ones. Fathers, sons, daughters, mothers and
husbands…
I can remember so
many tragic losses that day, 18 year Will
Norton torn from his father’s arms, Rusty
Howard and his two children died in the Home Depot. With the death toll at 158 there are so many
tragic stories, but among the tragedy there are beautiful tales of heroism and
personal sacrifice. There were those who
gave all. I’d like to talk about just
such a man.
Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved
the church, and gave himself for it.”
The name Don Lansaw may not mean anything to many of you,
but to those of us who saw this tragedy firsthand, the name Don Lansaw reminds us
of loves ultimate sacrifice. When the
tornado was bearing down on their Joplin home, Don’s first reaction was not that
of self-preservation. Don’s last act of love towards his wife
Bethany, was to throw his body over hers to protect her from the brunt of the
hit. Don literally laid his life down
for his wife!
As I sat at my
computer a few days after the storm and watched Bethany tell their story, tears
streamed down my face. How can you ever
compare any other to that? Even today as
I watched it again I cried as Bethany spoke of how much love Don had. As devastating as this story is, I can’t help
but see the beauty in it.
The kind of love Don showed for Bethany was not just love! It’s what the Greek language refers to as “agape” love. “Agápe
(ἀγάπη agápē[1]) means "love" (unconditional love) in modern day
Greek, such as in the terms 'agapo (Σ'αγαπώ), which means "I love
you". In Ancient Greek, it often refers to a general affection or deeper
sense of "true love" rather than the attraction suggested by
"eros". Agape is used in the biblical passage known as the "love
chapter", 1 Corinthians 13, and is described there and throughout the New
Testament as sacrificial love…. Agape was appropriated by Christians for use to
express the unconditional love of God. Before
agape love there was no other word to express such great love.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_words_for_love)
What an amazing love!
What an amazing gift! To be loved
by someone who was willing to pay the ultimate price for love!
I know every man will say that they are willing to give
their lives for their children and their wives, but not many men are put to the
test. Don proved once and for all his
love for his beautiful wife of six years, when he said “I love you” with his
life. What a beautiful example of
sacrificial love! I know Bethany would
much rather have her husband than have the story to tell. My prayers are with her today as I think of
her great loss.
John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this…”
If you’d like to see Bethany share their story cut and paste this
link. http://youtu.be/IuA5193SBpM
