Glenn attended the memorial service for American Sniper Chris Kyle at Cowboys Stadium yesterday afternoon and described the event on radio today. Glenn choked up as he read the touching notes written by Kyle’s children, which were on the back of the program. It’s tough for anyone to take, but it’s toughest on the family.
"I was in a sea of uniforms yesterday because I was at Chris Kyle's funeral, which was unbelievable and powerful. I don't know who I was more impressed with: His wife, who was a rock for her children; the Navy SEALs and all of the other military that would ‑‑ the honor that was in that room was staggering," Glenn said.
"It was truly, truly remarkable," Glenn said.
Glenn has been working with Mercury One to raise money for Chris Kyle's family, and has already raised over $600,000 to go to a memorial fund and to the FITCO Care Foundation. More details can be found here.
"I was trying to think last night, what do I take away from all of this as we close this chapter? What's the takeaway? What is the story I will tell my 8‑year‑old son? And as I was thinking last night, I thought, 'Maybe it's this.' I didn't get home until 11:30 last night, and tonight maybe I will kneel at his bedside and tell him: 'Son, there was once a boy whose daddy gave him a BB gun. He was little, he was about your age, and he learned to shoot it. And he got really, really good at shooting. It's one of those talents that God gives you. But then he asks you in the end, What did you do with your talent? And I know what you're thinking, buddy: Shooting a gun can come from God? Yes, son. It can."
"Everybody gets their own talents from God, but that one has to come with another talent because it comes with such responsibility. If God is going to give somebody the gun gift, he has to make sure that another gift is already in place and that's discernment. The gift of discernment. The gift of knowing good from bad in a second. I pray that you will never have to pull a trigger, son. But if you do, you'd better be right. Your head better be clear enough to ask God for an answer and to trust what you feel. The little boy whose dad gave him a BB gun grew up to be a hero."
"Chris had discernment. He was crystal clear about the good guys and the bad guys, but killing guys was not all there was to Chris Kyle. He was a hero for how he loved as well. He gave away his chance to be rich so that his friend's mom could have a house and food. His friend had just died in battle."
"Once in the car his sweet wife confessed her weaknesses, she said, 'I'm a mess, Chris.' But her husband didn't make her pay for that. He loved her mess. He said, 'Babe, you're a package deal.' His legend was growing as a warrior but rather than build on it, he left from the military to be a dad."
"You see, Raphe, when God told Chris it was okay to shoot, he did. When God told him it was time to sheath his sword, learn how to love even better than he shot, he listened and obeyed and did that too. It's discernment. Knowing the difference between right and wrong. Having the courage to be honest."
"It's like Sir Galahad: My strength is as the strength of ten because my heart is pure."
" And then when my story is told and my little boy's eyes are closed, I will probably stay on my knees a little longer than usual, and lay my head on that little boy's chest and thank God out loud that I've been given this gift of a son. And I will quietly once again ask God to help this dad be just a little more like Chris Kyle."