6-10-22
In 2016 they made a movie called Hacksaw Ridge. It is the true story of Desmond Doss. A Christian man who felt compelled to enlist to help with WWII. Now his religious beliefs made him a conscientious objector. So, he trained as a medic and would not carry a gun. He endured much abuse from everyone around him as they feared that by not carrying a gun, he might put their lives in danger. After all, it was war! But all that changed when they were at the battle of Hacksaw Ridge, which was a plateau-like area where they needed to climb down many feet to safety. Our forces were being badly beaten and they called for a retreat, but Desmond stayed behind to get the wounded. He was not a large man; he carried his Bible with him everywhere. So, as he would find a soldier who was wounded, he would carry them to the edge of the ridge and lower them to safety in a makeshift sling. After each one, he would go back for another. When he had rescued them all, there were 75. After the war, he was asked HOW he could have carried that many wounded men that far though the war raged around him. He said that after he lowered each one, he asked God, “Lord, please help me to get just ONE more”. Soon after this battle, the American forces went back and DID conquer Hacksaw Ridge, but during these rescues, he lost his beloved bible. The men who had so ridiculed and hated him, went back and searched the ridge to find that Bible.
I love a movie with a happy ending. I think though, the happiest ending is how this man’s life impacted SO many people. Here is the quiet, unassuming Desmond Doss and now so many know of Jesus because of him. The ones he was shoulder to shoulder with for sure!! But also the ones who have seen the inspiring movie.
Each one of us is called to do things for God. People like him, whose life may not have been easy, but because of the adversity, he had a “platform”. I know people who God has raised up in one way or another to a notoriety, because those people will profess his name. Most of us will never be “famous”. But each of us can influence people for Jesus.
I once heard someone say that although she would not have been a famous person, Billy Graham’s Sunday School teacher might have been an amazing servant of God to have influenced him, who influenced hundreds of thousands. The rest of us do what we can for the Kingdom. Teach Sunday School, work on events that will raise the name of Jesus, like Helmar Palooza. Some are quiet servants who clean things around the church building. It is a very rewarding feeling to do a physical job for church or the kingdom. But telling others of Christ might be the most important thing. If you feel you are not good at talking to people, email them the link to Pastors sermons, give them a gift of a book written by Irwin Lutzer, David Jeremiah, or Max Lucado. I will never be famous. I don’t want to be, but I love to talk about my Jesus to anyone who will listen.
Shirlene Peterson