As a lifelong lover of history, particularly military history, I am always looking for a new book, documentary, film that can teach me something I didn't know before about the history of our world. Currently I'm watching a series called "The Color of War." It uses color archival footage to tell the history of different aspects of World War 2. Before I get into what I want to talk about, here are some facts that blew me away about the war, which lasted from 1939-1945. (you can read some of these facts here)
- Over 55 million men, women, and children lost their lives as a direct result of the war. Of that number, over one third (21 million) were Russians. 80 percent of Soviet men born in 1923 were dead by 1945. More Russians died at the Battle of Stalingrad alone, than the number of British and Americans who died in the entire war.
- That statistic leads into (but certainly in no way excuses) this one: over 2 million German women between the ages of 13 and 70 were raped by members of the Russian army at the end of the war.
- Actor Jimmy Stewart was a bomber pilot and flew dozens of combat missions over Europe. After the war, he eventually rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the US Air Force Reserve. He wasn't alone from Hollywood. Among those who served during World War II, many seeing combat, were Mel Brooks, Don Knotts, Hal Holbrook, Henry Fonda, Paul Newman, Don Rickles, Johnny Carson, Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Kirk Douglas, and Clark Gable. There were countless more.
- Every President from Eisenhower to George HW Bush (eight in all) served in the military during the war.
- Finally, and this is the one that jumped out at me when I heard it this morning: for every man who fought on the front lines, it took 18 service members to support him. Bullets, clothing, fuel, food, parts, medicine, repairs, logistics, and on and on. It is easy to forget that 90% of the effort and work that it took to win that war was done by people who never saw the enemy.
To put it another way: think of your favorite movie. Who gets the glory and the credit for that film? The actors and actresses, the director, perhaps in some instances the writers. What about the guy who spent a year behind the scenes doing special effects? What about the woman who sat in an editing room piecing scenes together? What about the people who made food every day for the crew so they could make that film? Just as vital to the outcome, though we don't know their names or faces. They don't get the credit or the glory that others receive.
So what's the point? I'm just thinking of the people in our lives whose everyday effort never gets the glory it deserves. The stay at home mom who never earns a dime at a "real job" but whose hard work every day keeps the home running, bellies fed, clothes washed, schedules organized, cuts bandaged, and lives full of joy. The mom whose children grow up to be men and women who change the world. I think of the retired shut-in who is unable to make it to church every week, but whose fervent prayers sustain the pastor whose sermon changes lives. I think of the man who never has contact with students, but makes sure the buses are running smoothly every day for 40 years, so thousands of students can arrive safely at school and receive an education.
You get my point. Every day, all around us, people are making a difference and we don't even realize it. We celebrate heroes, but we so often forget that without dozens of people standing behind them, there are no heroes. Take a few minutes today to sit down and make a list of all the people in your life whose behind the scenes work make your life what it is. Over the next week or so, send an email, or a note, make a phone call, or walk across the room and tell those people how much you appreciate what they do for you. A little encouragement and appreciation can go a long way. Let's celebrate those people whose lives make our lives possible.
"...the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." - 1 Corinthians 12:14-26 (NIV).
- Over 55 million men, women, and children lost their lives as a direct result of the war. Of that number, over one third (21 million) were Russians. 80 percent of Soviet men born in 1923 were dead by 1945. More Russians died at the Battle of Stalingrad alone, than the number of British and Americans who died in the entire war.
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| A German plane over the ruins of Stalingrad |
- Actor Jimmy Stewart was a bomber pilot and flew dozens of combat missions over Europe. After the war, he eventually rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the US Air Force Reserve. He wasn't alone from Hollywood. Among those who served during World War II, many seeing combat, were Mel Brooks, Don Knotts, Hal Holbrook, Henry Fonda, Paul Newman, Don Rickles, Johnny Carson, Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Kirk Douglas, and Clark Gable. There were countless more.
- Every President from Eisenhower to George HW Bush (eight in all) served in the military during the war.
- Finally, and this is the one that jumped out at me when I heard it this morning: for every man who fought on the front lines, it took 18 service members to support him. Bullets, clothing, fuel, food, parts, medicine, repairs, logistics, and on and on. It is easy to forget that 90% of the effort and work that it took to win that war was done by people who never saw the enemy.
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| Lt. Col. James Stewart during World War II |
So what's the point? I'm just thinking of the people in our lives whose everyday effort never gets the glory it deserves. The stay at home mom who never earns a dime at a "real job" but whose hard work every day keeps the home running, bellies fed, clothes washed, schedules organized, cuts bandaged, and lives full of joy. The mom whose children grow up to be men and women who change the world. I think of the retired shut-in who is unable to make it to church every week, but whose fervent prayers sustain the pastor whose sermon changes lives. I think of the man who never has contact with students, but makes sure the buses are running smoothly every day for 40 years, so thousands of students can arrive safely at school and receive an education.
You get my point. Every day, all around us, people are making a difference and we don't even realize it. We celebrate heroes, but we so often forget that without dozens of people standing behind them, there are no heroes. Take a few minutes today to sit down and make a list of all the people in your life whose behind the scenes work make your life what it is. Over the next week or so, send an email, or a note, make a phone call, or walk across the room and tell those people how much you appreciate what they do for you. A little encouragement and appreciation can go a long way. Let's celebrate those people whose lives make our lives possible.
"...the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." - 1 Corinthians 12:14-26 (NIV).
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