I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:28-30
A couple weeks ago we visited Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where the Union and Confederate soldiers saw intense battle during the Civil War. A place where the monuments stand tall in remembrance to bloody and horrific fighting of brother against brother. It wasn’t our first time visiting, but it had a different feel to it. We’ve studied and focused so much on the history of that area that there wasn’t even a doubt that we’d learn more about the past of the United States through this trip.
Have you ever had a plan that didn’t turn out quite how you thought it would? This was my trip. It started out quite normal by finding a captivating, new way to dig deeper into history through a different type of battlefield tour. We’ve walked the roads and woods, studying and learning through the eyes of a soldier, and we’ve done the auto tour. I’ve even taken a bus tour years ago, but this trip found us using iPads that followed the self-guided auto tour stops. The guys in my family found them incredibly educational and interesting.
I designated myself as the driver. This helped me take a step back from the pain and sadness that was flowing so strongly through me at the many lives lost on those hallowed grounds. I struggled with understanding what was going on during this trip that was different than the others. As I was driving and seeing my guys getting immersed into history, I felt God pulling me out of the overwhelming emotions and pointing me in a whole other direction.
Growth in knowledge, wisdom, faith, kindness, understanding, relationships, or many other areas of learning is always a goal and expectation when taking one of our trips. I was thrown a curveball on this trip. Expecting to gain knowledge on history, or even wisdom in leadership, you can imagine my surprise when I realized God had a different plan for me. My hubby and boys were learning about the past, and I was being shown the present and future.
As I was parked at auto stop 2, the Eternal Light Peace Memorial, God took my focus away from the voices on the iPad to the view in front of me…the people. There was a group from a bus standing on the terrace taking pictures. It was time for them to leave, and I watched one man after another give assistance to the women. For the frailer women, there was a man on each side of them.
My eyes were opened to see that the men offered more than an arm to those women. They were the heroes of that day. No, they weren’t giving their lives for their beliefs as the men who stood there did in 1863, yet they were representing the love and kindness of the Eternal Light at this Civil War monument that is also a peace monument.
You see, I saw how men of character should treat women. Not just that, but how humans should treat humans. While visiting the Eternal Light Peace Memorial, they showed the Eternal Life Light that lives within us. Just as the flame in Gettysburg can be seen 20 miles away, the Light within them was visible far beyond what they would expect. There was peace radiating from those kind acts.
Before anyone gets huffy about how strong women can be, I agree. It doesn’t mean that men can’t be chivalrous though. I was so surprised when I looked more into this memorial to American heroism to find it has relief sculptures of two women and an American eagle. Hmmm…
Michael Panhorst wrote, “Gettysburg’s earliest monuments are funereal; they mourn the dead. But most of Gettysburg’s monuments were placed between the twenty-fifth and fiftieth anniversaries of the battle. They commemorate the service of survivors as well as the fallen, and a few monuments celebrate the peace and reconciliation that ultimately resulted from the war.” I had the privilege to see the peace and reconciliation side.
The inscribed motto on the memorial is Peace Eternal in a United Nation. Before the 1946 Paris peace conference, President Truman said, “That is what we want, but let’s change that word (nation) to world and we’ll have something.” How true! I saw how that starts while I was in front of this memorial really seeing the people. Peace and heroism have to do with us as individuals, and it starts with how we treat the person next to us. This leads out from you and me and eventually leads across borders and oceans to all around the world.
If God has the whole world in His hands, I’m glad to know that I can’t be snatched out. I’m relieved to know that Eternal Light gives me eternal life, and Eternal Light allows me to shine onto others in peace and kindness.
One more thing! Remember how I had it in my mind what the purpose of the trip was? My lesson came in a different form. Yes, there are heroic stories found all throughout Civil War lessons, but stories of heroism are just as alive in the present. When I was ready to learn more about history, God was ready for me to learn more about life.
There was an interesting visual I was given recently. It was of a delta. I was told that there’s more than one path from a river into the ocean. There are many ways to receive treasure from God. The path the Lord takes us on isn’t always straight. Sometimes we’ll go sideways. This doesn’t mean we’re going the wrong way, it means there’s something else to learn or someone else that needs our help along the way to the ocean. To eternal life. My path might have been a bit different on our Gettysburg trip, but it was necessary for me to take!
I challenge you to let your light shine for all to see many miles away today, tomorrow, and for all eternity.
