The Warrior

I believe men are warriors by nature. We see injustice and we seek to defend the weak or weary. Or we see an opportunity in life to do what is right and we take up the banner to make the world better. A warrior died yesterday. He saw the battle in people, whether it was Vietnam, Simpsonville, or wherever life took him. Furman David Chandler was a REAL warrior. There are people in the world that carry themselves so privately, and while they believe that no one is noticing; they alone are slowly, humbly making the world better. Many of us were watching David as he waged the war against the weak, the unloved , and the ones that were forgotten. David would not let them be forgotten or unloved or alone. He would enter a little rock house, and silently, behind a closed door, he would simply, pray, encourage, and remind them that one warrior was waging a battle on their behalf. David had been wounded in life physically and was dealt a life threatening blow, but he sustained the battle until the very end. That is what this warrior did. He fought until there was an outcome, and he won his war. David has gone where faithful warriors go. Davids family is left with the memories of a loving faithful husband; a dad who provided, taught and encouraged; and a grandfather who showed his grandchild where the battlefield was and how to win the battle of life, while tenderly showing him the wonders of the ocean water and the slipping of the sand as the tide turned. In his lifetime David had made as many friends as the stars in the southern sky he loved so much. While David may have wished to go through his battles alone, he carried the hope of so many family and friends that he was never going to be unseen or in the shadows of life. We watched as he fought with dignity and valor that was girded by the Lord of his life who sustained this warrior. When you lead a Godly life, those who see their world changing ask themselves, "who is doing this?" and they see David, off to the next battle for the next downtrodden soul. You see David knew that the Lord was with him through every battle, every trial, every tear, every joy, and he trusted in that each moment of his life. I was one of those souls that David fought for and won. He was my hero as he was for so many in his life. He lost his physical battle yesterday, but his banners of victory are walking testaments to this warrior who fought and prayed and loved them with every ounce of his being. David, the warrior, died yesterday, but David, the conqueror, continues to be so much more today. Davids family will be sustained by the hand of God, and by the lessons that he taught us all.