D-day, the greatest generation, and God's grace

I am fascinated by the events of D-day in particular and World War 2 in general. There are so many lessons to be learned from Generals Eisenhower and Montgomery who led in the planning of the Allied attack on France's beaches. Both were very meticulous and gave great attention to detail, and the beach landings had been thoroughly rehearsed on the shores of England. Despite losing around 2000 men at Omaha beach on day one over 34,000 made it ashore safely.

Having grown up in a family where my maternal and paternal grandfathers were both WW2 vets I learned to appreciate the sacrifices made by that generation, a generation that Tom Brokaw would call the "greatest generation." It seems that adversity brought out the best in them; theirs is a generation marked by stories of courage and faithfulness to their families, country, and the cause of freedom.

There are so many lessons for us today couched in all of this- from the proper planning of the generals to the courage and sacrificial actions of those great soldiers. But I think it is important that we not miss the grace of God and His sovereignty and purposes in it all. We could discuss evil and its existence and look for someone to blame for that, but perhaps we would do better to see the possibilities that exist for us in light of a day like June 6, 1944. Ultimately, it is all about God and His purposes. The wise king Solomon grasped understood this as he dedicated the temple; Israel was blessed with peace and prosperity but Solomon knew there was more at work. 1 Kings 8 tells the story; Solomon proclaimed that the temple and its splendor would cause all nations to hear of God's great name (v42) in order that all the peoples of the earth would know Him (v43).

It is no different for us in the United States; we have been greatly blessed but not for our own comfort, glory, and purposes. We have been blessed in order that others can come to know God through His Son Jesus Christ. May God deliver us from our selfishness and self-centerdness and laziness as we take His gifts and the sacrifice of the greatest generation for granted.