The Loss of a Soldier
Yesterday we received word that a young man in our community, Marine Cpl. Jacob Leicht, was killed in Afganistan.
It seems trivial now to write about home decorating and child training. I can’t seem to write about anything except my deepest sympathy for this sweet family. They have lost son, brother and sadly, new husband.
Jacob was married only six months ago. A young woman is now a widow. I can hardly bear the thought.
I remember when my younger brother died five years ago. At some point after the funeral I had to go out into the world. We needed groceries and basic supplies. The memory is fresh, me walking around in Walmart and everyone else seemed so happy and carefree when I was drowning in pain. My grief was so strong. It was hard to appreciate that strangers were having a normal day. It was difficult to be nice, to answer the everyday question, “How are you?”.
Everyone says it, yet the simple answer, “Fine,” would not pass my lips. I wasn’t fine. I had lost my brother tragically and I was so sad that my heart literally hurt. Real, physical pain. I knew people were just being polite, but my eyes would fill with tears and I would say nothing. Even the sound of my own voice would break me. I remember begging God to keep anyone from speaking to me, lest I would fall apart right there in the potato chip aisle.
Jacob Leicht had been home from an injury and had a recovery that is, to quote his brother Jonathan, “nothing short of miraculous.” In the past year he was able to go back to active duty and was deployed to Afganistan just three weeks ago. “Even as a child, Jacob (who was born on the 4th of July) wanted nothing else than to be a soldier, and told everyone repeatedly that he wanted to die in battle for his country.”
This Memorial Day will have deep meaning for this precious family. They love the Lord. Jacob was a professing believer, so they have that comfort.
It’s a comfort we did not have when my brother died.
As you go through your Memorial Day weekend celebrating our country and thinking of the soldiers tha have died for our freedoms, please think of the Leicht family. They need our prayers.
Thank you, Lisa. Thank you. It’s beautiful
Shirly Leicht
(Jacob’s mother)
Thank you Lisa for your thoughtful blog post on my brother-in-law Jacob. It still hasn’t totally set in with some of us but we are finding the love and peace that passes all understanding is surrounding us at this time. Such support, prayers, love, and services have helped to carry us through this difficult time. When things start to slow down, I feel we will need those prayers and support even more. Jacob was dear to us in so many ways – so brave and so strong yet so loving and gentle in spirit. I cannot find the words to explain how much we will miss him. I can only cling to the day when we will see him again. Thank you again. Much love,
Angie Leicht
Praying for the Leicht family. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, that we might support them in prayer.
.-= The Reader´s last blog ..Project 365 — 143 to 149 =-.
I’ll be praying for his family. As I pray for my friend who was widowed the first day of the war in Iraq. Such a sad, sad thing.
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I’ll never forget meeting Jacob when he was in the hospital. He had a Marine flag over his bed and was already talking about going back. You could see it in his eyes. He became a Believer after that and I’m so grateful. His family is so dear. They love the LORD so much and are such strong witnesses. I’m so sad he was the 1,000th soldier killed in Afghanistan. 1,000 families grieving.
.-= Grateful for Grace´s last blog .."King Corn" =-.
For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud command with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. Thessalonians 4:16-18
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I never met Jacob yet I have wept like he was my friend. Today, hearing Jonathan speak at church was so very difficult not to do the ugly woman cry. I can’t even begin, not even slightly, to understand what it feels like to lose a brother. I pray the Lord holds this feeling from me for a very long time.
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A note I got from Celia (her comment wouldn’t publish): I want you and the family to know that we and our entire church prayed for the Leicht family this morning. Not until this very moment did I know that we would be so connected, and that the wounds were so fresh. I lost a brother in 1978, 70 days after he had married, but the wounds still feel raw at times. I pray the God of Comfort embrace you all at this time and in the times to yet come.