December 7, 2006
On the evening of December 7, 2006, our dear friends, Dale and Marsha Gifford, received the most horrifying news that any parent could ever receive. Two somber soldiers, a sergeant and a chaplain, came to their door and said, “We are sorry to inform you that your son, Cpl. Micah Stephen Gifford, was killed by an IED in Baghdad, Iraq today.”
Marsha wrote, “Our hearts are broken. But I am so proud of him and his walk with the Lord, his faith, and his optimism. He was such a blessing. Oh! We’ll miss him so! But I’m happy for him, too. Heaven is such a wonderful place. We can’t even imagine it!”
Dale (minister of the Skyline Church of Christ in Auburn, California) wrote, “My son said on his web site, just before he left for Iraq, ‘Don’t pray that I come home soon. Pray that the people who are causing us to stay there can see the light and change their ways without harm coming to them.’ In life, my son was unable to bring light to the good people steeped in the Muslim faith. Perhaps, through his death, he can motivate those of us left behind to do the right thing and bring the light of God to the world of Islam.
“Marsha and I have determined to go beyond lip service to spreading the Gospel. The blood of our son has motivated us to do what we should have done for the blood of our Savior long ago. We are not only giving $5,000 to WEI; we are, on this day, committing ourselves to participate in the teaching of the Gospel in Albania or any other Islamic-saturated country. We have long known that God is using WEI in a most effective way among the good people trapped in the Muslim religion. We want to help your efforts! The task is daunting, and the path is unsure, but we must do something.”
While he was a student at Harding University, Micah was a linebacker on the football team. One of his fellow-students writes, “Micah was not only a soldier of this great country, but more importantly, he was a soldier of Christ!”
In lieu of flowers, the Giffords have asked that contributions be sent to WEI.
May God bless the memory of Micah Gifford, and may the Lord bring comfort and strength to his grieving family.
