Normandy

I have to admit that I knew very little about the Normandy invasion until last week when Mel and I went to France and secured a historical your guide to take us and teach us about the allied soldiers' decent on the beaches in Normandy. We toured the area for several days and at the end of our stay I was not only engulfed with respect and appreciation for the courage, dedication, tenacity, perseverance and resourcefulness of the soldiers but also their ability as told through the stories to forge through the most difficult of situations and stay focused on their goal towards freedom and come out victorious.  The losses were monumental in numbers and I cannot imagine the remnants of the mental and physical effects the war left on the survivors.   Though the D-Day invasion was in 1944, there still are remaining cement bunkers standing, bomb craters left unfilled, museums and artifacts displaying the machinery, artillery and stories of war time events, the eerie scene of leftover ocean blocks of the floating harbor, the beaches that span over fifty miles, and statues and commemorative plaques of leaders and places of timeless significance. This history, stored and memorialized was a true inspiration to me.  It was  reminder that these soldiers were everyday ordinary people who were engaged in a purpose that far out reached their capacity, their ability and their individual contribution to society.  They, together, created a fortified stand for freedom at all costs, in the midst of overwhelming adversity. And God was overseeing the whole event, knowing that there would be great loss, destruction, and  sacrifice beyond measure, but that the efforts of battle, fatigue and diligence would be the very stronghold of freedom. We today, still are fighting wars for freedom, and history is in the making each day in our country, our society and our lives.  And God is still overseeing the events that are on our horizon, and will one day be encrypted as what our generation did and stood for. Will we be proud, we will be able to say we stood for values, and morals, and that we as a generation faithfully pursued the gift of life and country that our forefathers founded this country on?  These guys back then were not mansy pansies....they had guts and were not willing to compromise integrity, truth and honesty for misguided power. I  personally know that I am too often a a mansy pansy, and I do compromise my beliefs when  am placed a position of confrontation.  I don't want to make waves, or hurt someone's feelings, or be that person who disagrees with a formidable crowd.  I don't fight for truth, sometimes, because quite frankly I am not dedicated enough to one, dig out the facts of truth, and two, be willing to have people talk about me when I rock the boat.  I can make a difference in this world, all of us can.  We may not consider ourselves to be soldiers in uniform on a designated worldly battlefield, oh but we are. And God is watching and listening.  He hears us when we complain, when we slander, when we fight battles of discontent  and envy.  He watches as we draw our swords, and submit to fighting for what we know is wrong.  But we forget that he is watching and we forget to submit to his commanding position of leadership. I want to be on of those soldiers who is admired for courage, for diligence, for fighting for what is good and great and gracious. And I can be and so can you if we go forth in faith and dependence on God's power and His will.  We are in the battlefield each day and in every way.  We too are the ordinary folk, but with God's help and the support of a team of other fighting Christians, we can make a difference for our country, and in our lives. I did not know the story of all the events that God had lined up in order for the victory of D-Day to be declared.  For there were many factors that could not have been possibly arranged through any other means other than heavenly intervention.  That same heavenly intervention is still active and decidedly a given part of each our daily endeavors.  History is in the making of our today's decisions and choices. If we are to secure the victory of any given battle, we must be dependent on God's power and his ways, and not submit to our own strategy and weakened defenses.    2 Chronicles 20:15 He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.  Dear Lord, thank you for reminding me that sacrifices and loss will always be a part of your ultimate victory. Help me to be bold in my walk with you, and faithful in my words and deeds.  And remind me Lord that everyday I am placed in a battlefield  of conscience and my greatest weapon is in your power.  Amen  Praise God wherever you are or whatever situation he has allowed you to be in, for his glory will shine through.