A Smile in the Face of Pain
by Joanne Reese

“No matter how dire the circumstances, if you look hard enough, you’ll find something to laugh about.” – George Elrod

The kind eyes of George Elrod gave no indication of a warrior’s heart. So why he decided to write this book called, “It’s Not All Bad – A Lighter Look at Vietnam?”
“The short answer is because my daughter Janice kept getting on my case to get it written,” Elrod said. “There are hundreds of books written about Vietnam, chronicling the horror stories. What we didn’t need is another one.”
Born in Waxahachie Texas, home of Southwestern Assemblies of God University, Elrod was one of seven brothers and sisters. His father, a First Assemblies of God Minister, planted a vision of ministry in Elrod’s young heart. “My dad was pretty much my hero.”
“My mother was also a positive influence in my life,” Elrod said. “She was a picture of absolute stability in the home.” His mother assumed a quiet role. While many pastor’s wives involved themselves in church activities, Elrod’s mother kept her focus in one place. “I don’t recall ever seeing my mom up on the platform. She did not sing in the choir or play the piano. She took care of the home. She cared for the minister, who in turn, cared for the flock.”
From playground days to fighting the war in Vietnam, Elrod has always been willing to take a stand in the face of opposition. His first call out was over the prettiest girl in school. It was the sixth grade, and the school bully had decided to tease the wrong girl on the wrong day. “I agreed to fight him under one condition -- if we could fight in my front yard. That way, if I was getting pummeled too badly my dad could come out and save my tail.” To everyone’s surprise, Elrod’s dad ended up pulling him off of the bully. After that, they became the best of friends.
A call into the ministry happened early in life. “I was 12 years old. It was a Sunday night church service in Sacramento. During the altar time, I felt a definite call of God on my life – a Samuel kind of call, a very clear call into the ministry. From that point on, I pursued it.” Fights with siblings in a large family prepared Elrod for what was ahead. He went straight to Bible college after high school, with a two year interruption to enter the military.
The military created several growing opportunities for Elrod. The 11 inches he grew from his junior to his senior year of high school paled in comparison. Standing on the front lines does that to a man. “After getting back from Vietnam people asked me if I had problems as a Christian shooting at other people. My response was, ‘No, those people were trying to kill me.’ It was very simple for me. I had been ordered by my government to go to a certain place to do a certain job, and I was just fulfilling my orders.”
As a man of honor, Elrod reaped the benefit of God’s favor while serving our country. “Any time a man is honest even to their own hurt -- it doesn’t go unnoticed. An example in the book had to do with an executive officer who was a black man, working on his Ph.D. while in Nam. Because he was black, many of the white guys wouldn’t call him sir. I didn’t have any problem calling him sir because he had earned it. Being a person of character (not being a character) doesn’t go unnoticed.”
While there are several books on the shelves about Vietnam, Elrod’s book offers a unique approach. “Pain is inevitable. Jesus tells us in this world you will have tribulation. He also tells us to be of good cheer because he has overcome the world. King Solomon penned the words in Proverbs 17 when he said, ‘Laughter does good like a medicine.’”
“The bottom line is simple,” Elrod said. “At the end of the day, when everybody else is gone and I prepare myself for bed, I’ve got to look at myself in the mirror and I want to be able to lay my head on my pillow and say to the best of my ability, I did it right. God doesn’t expect me to be perfect but to work toward excellence. So I know that if I walk in integrity, no matter what happens with anybody else I know that I’m going to please Him.”
These days, Elrod and his wife Jan, minister to Turlock and the surrounding areas through teaching and worship. “I’m passionate about having a heart of a true worshiper and about making sure that my worship is coexistent with my life. I want my worship and my life to occupy the same space. Jesus paid a tremendous price to purchase the church. I desperately want him to get what he paid for.”

Elrod lives with his wife Jan, daughter Brittany (who is a senior at Turlock High) and son Luke (who is a freshmen). His daughter Janice, mother to grandson Brady Cooper (cutest baby in the world) lives in Turlock. His daughter Julie lives in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania carrying Elrod’s next grandson Jackson Tyler, who is due to arrive at the end of December. His son Scott is worship director and counselor at Teen Challenge here in Turlock. His son Phillip, married five years, will be taking a youth pastor’s position in Dallas at the end of the month. Elrod’s 84 year old father, his hero, is living in assisted care in Turlock suffering from dementia. “My dad still has a tremendous sense of humor.”

To order, “It’s Not All Bad – A Lighter Look at Vietnam,” visit http://www.elrodministries.org