In a lecture hosted by Delta Gamma sorority focusing on “Leadership in Values and Ethics,” Taya Kyle spoke about life lessons learned since the loss of her husband, Chris Kyle.
Chris Kyle, also known as “The American Sniper,” was a United States Navy SEAL sniper before he died in February 2013. Since then, Taya has turned her story of loss and faith into a novel, “American Wife,” and has become an advocate for families affected by war. Taya shared her message with  a sold-out crowd in Rudder Auditorium Wednesday evening.
“My life has not gone the way that I wanted it to,” Taya Kyle said. “But I’m still standing, and I’m stronger and more faithful than ever. I’m praying that one of you out there will hear something that you needed to hear, and I hope that that’s not because it came from me, but because it’s God speaking through me to you.”
Taya Kyle brought the themes of love, war, faith and renewal from her novel into her speech on campus.
“When I was thinking about what it’s like to be in college, I was thinking that these [four] things are the things in our life that happen all the time,” Taya Kyle said. “Especially when you’re in college and trying to find your way — those things are all intertwined.”
Taya said she first met Chris when she was in her 20s, and up until that moment was praying that God would send somebody “nice” into her life.
“That prayer of ‘nice’ was answered in the form of a Navy SEAL,” Kyle said. “I believe that it was divine intervention. I quickly fell in love with this guy.”
Taya Kyle said Chris Kyle was devoted to the duties of being a Navy SEAL and that he had no reservations in going back to Afghanistan.
“Chris had a decision to make, and he made it time and time again,” Kyle said. “Whatever the cost was to him, he could take it on so that somebody else could live.”
Taya Kyle reflected on the loss of her husband, and said her faith was able to help her through such a difficult time in her life.
“There was no way of knowing — it’s just something that happened. It’s something that I can’t fix, and I can’t go back,” Taya Kyle said. “But I’m not going to make excuses for my life. I’m not going to be entitled. I’m capable of working, I’m capable of love. I have my faith and friends — I’m going to be okay.”
Taya Kyle compared faith to the idea of a workout. She said although life can be hard at the moment, this hardship will make you and your faith stronger.
“My hope for you is that when your life doesn’t go like you want it to, you will know yourself well enough to get up, keep moving, and know that you still have a choice,” Taya Kyle said.