1911
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Had a thought provoking conversation about this today,..well yesterday as a matter of fact. In the movie Saving Private Ryan, a World War II event is captured in which Captain John H. Miller and his men are tasked with finding one Private Ryan in the European theater of war. As most of you are familiar with, Ryan's three other brothers were killed in combat and the war department sent orders to retrieve the last living brother and return him safely home. Of course the task does not prove easy.
At a point near the end of Ryan's time in Europe, they encounter a battle scene where Allied forces have been instructed to hold a bridge. Orders are, if the tanks breech the bridge blow it up. In the final moments of the scene it becomes increasingly likely the bridge will be blown as a last ditch effort and Captain Miller goes for the detonator, which as luck would have it, lay wide open with no surrounding cover. In the process of reaching the detonator, Captain Miller sustains wounds which will prove mortal in a short time.
Soon after, and prior to blowing up the bridge, Allied support air craft arrive and the tide of the battle is quickly turned and a lull falls around the previous hell stricken battlefield. As Captain Miller lay mortally wounded and breathing his last breaths, Private Ryan leans in to hear him speak for the last time. Two words were uttered to Ryan. Earn this, earn this.
Years later the scene portrayed shows a now senior somber Ryan at a military burial ground as he approach the marker for his friend, Captain Miller. Ryan speaks to the hallowed ground and marker, presumably takes an inventory of his life, gives thanks and essentially asks if he earned it.
Pretty dramatic stuff but each of us, in some way is a Private Ryan. We have at some point, and some degree, through whatever hardships and duress we may suffer in life, have been blessed greatly by family, friends, circumstance, good health, and the list goes on. I think it would profit a man well to take stock in those good fortunes of life, say life is good, we live in a good country with so much freedom and blessing bought with blood sweat and tears from our ancestors, soldiers, and others.
We need to 'earn this.' How much better we might become as individuals, fathers, mothers, brothers, and countrymen if we take that same ownership and earn this. We thank those on this earth and on high when we take steps to earn this and bless ourselves as a side effect.
Anyway, I don't usually ramble on so long but something for all of us to think about each day. What can I do to earn this.
God Bless America and certainly at this time God bless those young men and women who put on a uniform and stand in dangerous ground for us.
At a point near the end of Ryan's time in Europe, they encounter a battle scene where Allied forces have been instructed to hold a bridge. Orders are, if the tanks breech the bridge blow it up. In the final moments of the scene it becomes increasingly likely the bridge will be blown as a last ditch effort and Captain Miller goes for the detonator, which as luck would have it, lay wide open with no surrounding cover. In the process of reaching the detonator, Captain Miller sustains wounds which will prove mortal in a short time.
Soon after, and prior to blowing up the bridge, Allied support air craft arrive and the tide of the battle is quickly turned and a lull falls around the previous hell stricken battlefield. As Captain Miller lay mortally wounded and breathing his last breaths, Private Ryan leans in to hear him speak for the last time. Two words were uttered to Ryan. Earn this, earn this.
Years later the scene portrayed shows a now senior somber Ryan at a military burial ground as he approach the marker for his friend, Captain Miller. Ryan speaks to the hallowed ground and marker, presumably takes an inventory of his life, gives thanks and essentially asks if he earned it.
Pretty dramatic stuff but each of us, in some way is a Private Ryan. We have at some point, and some degree, through whatever hardships and duress we may suffer in life, have been blessed greatly by family, friends, circumstance, good health, and the list goes on. I think it would profit a man well to take stock in those good fortunes of life, say life is good, we live in a good country with so much freedom and blessing bought with blood sweat and tears from our ancestors, soldiers, and others.
We need to 'earn this.' How much better we might become as individuals, fathers, mothers, brothers, and countrymen if we take that same ownership and earn this. We thank those on this earth and on high when we take steps to earn this and bless ourselves as a side effect.
Anyway, I don't usually ramble on so long but something for all of us to think about each day. What can I do to earn this.
God Bless America and certainly at this time God bless those young men and women who put on a uniform and stand in dangerous ground for us.
