And if not

I don't know what it's like to grow up in other types of homes.  I would assume that if you grow up in a home where the parents are super into music, then you probably get to learn an instrument whether you like it or not for example.  Likewise, almost every coach I have ever known had kids who were equally into football or basketball or whatever.  I've even know people who were super into church, and I've noticed that their children also not only have a love for God but all things religion.  I don't know what any of that is like really.

I grew up in the home of a history teacher.  My Dad can and often did quote directly from the Founding Fathers.  I remember being frustrated during Social Studies in elementary school because the teacher was just leaving out way too much cool stuff.  Likewise, my Dad grew up under a historian of sorts.  My grandfather was like most men his age in Middle Tennessee, he was a garment factory worker who would "moonlight" as a farmer.  He was different in one respect though.  My grandfather was self-educated.  He had read every historical account you can think of, and by that, I mean all of them.  He could recite to you specific movements of Stonewall Jackson's Army in the Civil War from memory.  He once recited to me our family tree from memory all the way back to the first Oldham who landed in Virginia.  His ability to retain what he had learned was really an amazing thing to behold.  To watch that being stripped from him by Alzheimer's disease was equally heartbreaking.  Where my Grandfather was interested in History, his brother loved Math.  He somehow found some Algebra, Geometry, and Calculus books and taught himself to work the problems.  He didn't finish until he had worked all the problems in each book.  I once asked my Grandfather why his brother wasn't still interested in Math.  Direct quote, "He worked all the problems in the books at the library."  All the problems.  I suspect becoming an engineer would've been easier had I fallen after him but I didn't.  I grew up in the history teacher's house, and like I said, I have no idea what they do in other houses but in our house you hear dates and historical accounts so much that you eventually start remembering them whether you want to or not.  Because of some recent developments in my life, I'm going to tell you one.

On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland.  This is one of the dates that is emblazoned on my memory.  This is noteworthy, because while we don't think of them as a super power today, at the time, Germany was to be feared.  While England had long reigned supreme on the Sea, the land in Europe had essentially belonged to the German or Prussian Army since the fall of Napoleon.  While it's true, they took a terrible beating in WWI, they were still a great force to be reckoned with.  Fearing this great force, Britain, France, and Poland had entered into an allied pack in order to defend themselves.  When Germany invaded Poland, only a few hours passed before both France and England declared war and thus began WW2.  Both France and England expected a repeat of WW1, there would be some offensive and defensive moves on both sides initially, but eventually they would settle into trench warfare again, but Germany had no intention of being drawn into that fight again.  During the years between the wars, their commanders had developed a new tactic called the Blitzkrieg or Lightning War.  In this new style of battle, the idea was to simply put all your chips on the table in a couple of areas.  Rather than fight across a long front, they would abandon most areas and simply concentrate in a couple of points along the line.  This would eventually result in the enemy being surrounded at which point they would either surrender or be completely destroyed.  By using this means of attack, Germany succeed in defeating Poland within the month.  France held out for about 6 months, but it too eventually fell and surrendered to Germany.  Before this happened though, Britain sent what was called the British Expeditionary Force to the continent in hopes of helping the French turn the tide.  Like the French, the British didn't have a chance.  They were quickly surrounded and driven back to a city on the French coast called Dunkirk.  To say the situation was hopeless is a bit of an understatement.  They had not only been defeated, they had been obliterated.  Just when it seemed that all was lost, suddenly and for no apparent reason the fighting stopped.  The Germans held them where they were, but they were no longer advancing or even trying to advance.  What was discovered later was that Hitler had ordered the Army to halt so that he could send in the Luftwaffe (the German Airforce) and demonstrate to the world that not only did Germany have superiority on the land but also in the air.  Unfortunately for them, they couldn't get everything together fast enough and it left the Brits with an opening.  In these few moments, the commander of the BEF was able to get a message back to Britain.  What did it say?  You'd expect, "Get us out of here!!" or "Send more reinforcements!!", but that's not what it said.  The message was simple.  It read only three words.  "And if not"  "And if not"???  What???  You are surrounded by the enemy.  They are advancing on all fronts.  They have no intention of taking prisoners.  They are going to kill every last person in your company, and this is what he sends.  Why?  Because, he knew his Old Testament.

The Book of Daniel gives an account of three Hebrew men who defied a King.  Those men are known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  Now, every child who grows up in children's church knows these names.  These were the men who when told to bow before the image of God that King Nebuchadnezzar had created dared to defy him.  The story is well known, and it's easy to recount because we often don’t think of it in the moment.  Imagine the scene though, they were surrounded by the enemy.  Sound familiar?  The King of the opposition is giving a direct order to the people.  Their countrymen.  Their tribes.  Even their very family members were willing to obey.  In fact, we are led to believe that the entire nation of Israel along with all the other nations under his control submitted to the what the King had ordered even though it was in direct defiance of the true and living God.  All except for these three.  When brought before the King, he questioned them about their actions and told them that if they did not comply that they would be thrown into the fiery furnace.  The worst possible death I can imagine.  In reply to the King, we read in Daniel 3:17-18 what they had to say:  "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand.  AND IF NOT, we want you to know Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have setup."  You know the rest of the story.  The King was enraged.  He heated the furnace so hot that the men who through in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego died from the burns they received in the process.  But when Nebuchadnezzar looked into the fire, he saw not the three men but four and the fourth looked like a "son of the Gods".  When they came out of the fire, they had not be harmed and the King was amazed.

This story was so engrained in British culture that when the message was sent back to England, it galvanized the British people in their response.  They sent military ships.  They sent merchant ships.  They sent pleasure boats.  They sent yachts.  They spent speedboats.  If it could float, they sent it across the English Chanel to rescue their boys.  As you may or may not know, they arrived on May 27th, 1940.  Not one soldier was left behind.  All were evacuated to safety and freedom.  All because of three insignificant words, spoken at a time of hopelessness and despair. 

I often find that I too am surrounded by the enemy.  I don't expect everything to go right in my life.  I just expect things mostly to be normal, but when I find that it is such a struggle to just keep an even keel, I get discouraged.  There are moments of hopelessness.  Moments when I feel that my whole world is crashing around me.  I suppose we all have these from time to time.  The enemy has you surrounded and he is intent on destroying not just you but also your entire family.  I feel abandonded.  I wonder where this Jesus who loves me and cares for me is at.  It's in these moments, that I am thankful that I grew up in a history teacher's house.  No, I don't know how to throw a curveball.  That is true.  But in my darkest hours.  When I am in the bottom of the Valley, and the enemy has me surrounded, I whisper to myself, "And if not", lift my head, put my shoulder back into the struggle and "push on toward the prize."  My Savior paid my ransom.  My chains are gone.  I've been set free.  If nothing else, that was enough. 
 

This world is not my home.