Christian Living

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Considering Quitting?
© 2008

by


Julie Inman hated herself because she stood 4’ 9” tall and weighed scant 83 pounds. She hated everyone, except her boyfriend who demonstrated in many ways that he loved her dearly and without conditions. He would sacrifice his time, his talents and treasure on her behalf never asking for anything in return. His sacrifices made her happy each time he was in her presence. She was so happy she promised him and herself that she would agree to marry him should he ask.

Everything was going great in their lives until he received notice that he and his unit were called up to serve in Iraq. The news devastated her. Her boyfriend, on the other hand, viewed the situation as his duty and a test of their love for each other. With hope and a prayer, he gathered his personal effects to go forward to perform his duty as an Air Force mechanic in Iraq.

On his arrival to Iraq, he spent his days performing his assigned tasks magnificently: praying every moment available to him; as well as being a Godly example to members of his unit. He did so in such an exemplary manner that more than a dozen formerly non-Christian service members became followers of Christ—to include the wing commander!

Early on a hot August morning, the unit compound came under attack from foreign fighters. The fighting was fierce but the ground air base remained secured from the enemy. Following the 45 minute battle the mechanic lay in a pool of his own blood with both legs missing. Finding their fallen airman, unit members quickly rushed him to the nearest Army hospital to save his life. After seven hours of surgery, he awoke to learn he no longer had legs. He then cried out to God demanding an answer to the tragedy that befell him. Meanwhile, he was transferred to Germany for rehabilitation. From his hospital bed, he wrote his girlfriend. He told her of his accident but not of the loss of his legs. She responded to his letter wanting to know when he could be expected to return home and to her. He wrote her that he would return soon a new man never sharing the full extent of his injuries.

Thanksgiving Day came. Many of the injured American service personnel celebrated the day giving thanks to God for all of His gifts to them—everyone except the injured Air Force mechanic. He sat up in his bed angry at God for taking both of his legs.

“How are you doing?” came a voice out of nowhere. “I’m Chaplain Pete. I noticed you were by yourself so I decided to keep you company.”

“Chaplain! Why did God take my legs?”

“I can say that God didn’t take your legs. The evil that humankind does to each other did. God never does evil. But God has a way of turning evil towards good. Keep praying and I will include you in my prayers for your well-being.”

“Thanks Chaplain. I went to believe something good will come of this. Right now, though, I’m having a hard time of it. I haven’t even told my girlfriend. She doesn’t know what I’ve suffered.”

“Let God be your guide. If you do, He will strengthen you and give you peace. You’ll see.” smiled the chaplain then moved on to the other sections of the hospital.

Six weeks following his surgery, the Airman was moved to Walter Reed Army Hospital near Washington, D.C. Within a week of his arrival, the Airman received word that he would be fitted for prosthetic legs. Still angered by the loss of his legs, the Airman began questioning God as to why he lost his legs again. He had been a faithful follower of the Lord—prayed daily, read his Bible at every opportunity, was kind to everyone, even his enemies. Still no answer was forthcoming. When he received no answer satisfactory to him, he began to question the presence and the concern of God for him. The Airman’s prayers and Biblical study began declining to the point he no longer even considered God a part of his life. Then on the sixth day of the sixth month, he received his new legs. He gave no thanks to God. With physical therapy and a great physical therapist, the Airman was walking once again. As soon as he was released from the hospital, the Airman made his way back home to his girlfriend, Julie Inman, to ask her hand in marriage. “Now that I have served my country and have seen some of the world, will you marry me, Julie?”

“Why do you walk so funny,” she asked him.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you. While I was in Iraq, foreign fighters attacked our airbase. During the attack, they blew off my legs but the military gave me new legs so that I can walk, run and even kick a football.”

Julie looked at her boyfriend and the thought of being married to a man with no legs was more than she could bear. She had not expected that. The thought of looking at stumps, plastic legs, and a place where there used to be legs bothered her immensely and led her to refuse to marry him.

The Airman left her in tears and despairing. A week later he wrote her a note: “Julie take care of yourself. Before I went off to war you thought I was the love of your life. You rejected me because I did not meet your artificial standards of excellence. I am sorry for you. Have a great life and take care of yourself! I wish you well.”

Is it not interesting how humans behave and think when the going is or becomes difficult? Is it also not interesting how few remember what life was life before and who stood with when they pass through difficult, painful periods? Rather than being thankful or realize what they have, said persons become most ungrateful, rejecting, arrogant demanding extraordinary often irrational acts or results from God or humanity.

The breath of life is a gift. Before one swears, cusses or disowns God, consider every basic aspect of your life that God has given you—ability to breathe, walk, eat and so forth. It has been said that even with a disability, each person has thousands of functional aspects that cause any one person to live that so many never consider.

Therefore, before you say God is mean, dead and does not care about you, think of a person who has died painfully.

Before you complain about your car, remember that most people must walk miles for a drink of water or to clean themselves.

Before you complain about how terrible your school is, know that billions of people would give all they possessed to be able to go to school to obtain a formal education.

Before you gripe about your parents or your spouses, know that there are thousands crying out to God for their parents or a spouse fill the lonely days and nights for companionship or the love of someone close.

And when you worry about what you have great or small, smile! You are so blessed! You are alive as a result of God—a blessing in itself!

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