The Sacrifice

The Sacrifice

In 2005, two Marine officers arrived at the home of Ken and Ruth Mortenson with the announcement that their son, Marty, had been killed in action in al-Ramadi, Iraq. He was one of 4,497 lives lost in Iraq as of April 30, 2021. So many people asked the Mortensons how they could survive the loss of a child. The Mortensons chose to address the loss of their son through their faith rather than joining the public outcry as the number of deaths climbed.

The Sacrifice, is written in three parts. Ruth first tells the story of raising their son. In the second part of the narrative, she relates the story of Abraham and God's command to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Isaac is spared at the last moment. The lesson in the story of Abraham and Isaac is one of trust, a key element in this story of Biblical based-faith and in the Mortensons' memoir.

In the last part of the account, Ruth discusses how she and her husband each worked through their grief and the lessons they learned about loss, about trust and faith. Her account offers comfort to those who have lost a family member or friend they deeply love. The phrase, 'freedom isn't free', is frequently used with the significance fading into a sea of words. There is a cost for our freedom, whether in our national interest or as an individual caught in a cycle of grief and sin. In our struggle to understand. The Mortensons understand a little of that cost and know that God offers us comfort and freedom through the life of his Son.

Ruth Mortenson grew up in the country of Ecuador before returning to the United States at the age of 14. Those who grow up in a country other than their origin are known as third culture children. The experience often has a life changing effect on their years as an adult. She and her husband, Ken, raised their children to love the outdoors and to take on new experiences. She was not prepared for her son to join the United States Marine Corps. When the time came for him to fly into Kuwait in preparation for the invasion of this country, like any mom, she lived in a turmoil of emotions. Their son was killed on April 20, 2005. The couple chose to rely on their faith to help them live through this difficult time, complete with protests against the war, and a city who watched as they mourned and celebrated the life of their son. Ruth has chosen to share the experience with her readers with the hope that the lessons they learned in their trust in God will help others who lose someone dear to them. You may not agree with all she has written but she hopes that the account will provoke questions that lead others to peace in their grief.