Walking By Faith Part II: Don’t Quit
When I was out in El Paso with Bearing Precious Seed in July my computer crashed. There have been other times when my laptop has run into some problem and I’ve had to reinstall everything so I was not too concerned. The worst part was that I had just designed the mural for the top of the stairs on my laptop and now I could not access it. I decided that I was under attack and the best thing to do was to just keep walking and finish the mural anyway. Hector Jimenez kindly let me use his computer and I was able to recreate the design. This was only possible because by accident I had left the edited silhouette of the father and son on my zip drive. As I completed the mural I was convinced that I had scored a victory over the enemy.
One of the projects that I wanted to do while I was at BPS was to put the finishing touches on the schedule of activities for Expedition Manhood at Camp Winchester. I was the program director for the five day boys camp and I was also was doing all of the Scripture messages for morning devotions and campfire times. When my computer crashed I was concerned- how could I possibly be ready in time? The camp was the week directly following my time at BPS. But then I consoled myself: once I got home my father had the necessary equipment and I would have my laptop up and running in time for Camp Winchester.
Upon my arrival at home I immediately began work to rescue my computer. That is when it finally sunk home: my computer was dead. It was not a software problem. It was a motherboard/hardware issue. My computer was dead. The thought of trying to run a camp without my schedules and messages was overwhelming. I did not have the finances to buy another computer. What to do?
Staff would be arriving at Camp Winchester on Sunday. On Saturday as I was trying to prepare for the following week I was reminded of one of the stories I was going to share with the boys on their last evening at Camp:
Gettysburg, Thursday July 2nd, 1863
As the day was coming to a close on the second day of the fighting at Gettysburg during the War between the States, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine were assigned to the extreme left flank of the Union position. Chamberlain’s instructions had been to hold that position at all hazards. The 20th Maine had been doing some heavy marching in the previous days. Chamberlain had been suffering from the heat and had a slight headache. Now as the afternoon wore on the left flank was being attacked by Longstreet’s men.
As the battle began, Chamberlain felt the full gravity of his position: if he caved in the whole left flank of the Union army would be exposed. He placed his men in position and they waited for the soldiers in gray to come through the woods and up the hill. The 20th Maine repulsed the first onslaught. Chamberlain re-organized his men to fill in the empty spaces and prepared for the next attack. It came and was repulsed. More attacks came. Chamberlain was wounded in the foot. His officers said they were nearing the end of the sixty rounds per man they had when the battle started. Chamberlain sent for more ammo. No ammo came. The commanding officers directly above him were down. His men needed ammo. He sent again. Longstreet’s men cam up the hill again. Still no more ammo. His men stopped the attack again.
His officers came to him: they were out of ammo. Some men had one shot left, some none. Even as Chamberlain stood there thinking: I must hold this position to the last, the enemy came again. “Here they come!” The officers needed to know what to do. His men couldn’t shoot and he couldn’t retreat- only one thing left to do. “Fix bayonets” he told the officers. “Fix bayonets and we’ll charge.”
As Longstreet’s men came up through the woods to renew the attack they were astonished to see Chamberlain with drawn sword leading his men towards them on the run. The 20th Maine came down that hill yelling like the Rebel army. It was too much- the men in gray faltered, stopped, then turning they ran. Up on the hill the 83rd Pennsylvania watched in disbelief as the Rebel army ran. The 20th Maine took several hundred prisoners and fighting was over on that spot for that day.
To the boys at Camp Winchester I was going to say, “When you’re tired and have nothing left to fight with, don’t quit!” Now as I was preparing for Camp Winchester I felt as if I was out of bullets, I was wounded and the enemy was coming again. What to do? I decided to fix bayonets and charge.
On Sunday morning when I left for church I had my car loaded with everything I would need that week. I had packed my printer and paper just as if I had a computer. I had everything I need- except the computer. I reminded myself that I was a child of God, and went to church. After church I headed to Camp Winchester. It was crunch time now. In a few hours I would be in a staff meeting and unless God did something I would have no schedule, no program, no nothing.
As I was driving a very dear friend of mine called me. He had heard that my computer had crashed and he was concerned. How will you do it without a computer? I honestly did not know. He told me, “Go to Best Buy and pick out a computer then call me.”
I went to Best Buy, picked out the laptop I needed. My friend called the store and paid for it. I arrived at Camp Winchester and set up my brand new laptop. My Dad emailed me the files I needed off my old hard drive and by the first staff meeting I had printed out my schedule and was set to go!
It was a wonderful week. God blessed us in many different ways. On the last night at the campfire, I told the boys about Colonel Chamberlain and the 20th Maine. I also told them about my computer and I ended up by saying, “Don’t quit. No matter what the enemy throws at you, don’t quit!”
The world, the flesh, and the devil are going to attack you. Finances might be impossible. You may have a headache, be wounded, tired and ready to give up. Don’t Quit!
When it is impossible to go on, fix bayonets and charge!
2Ch 20:17
“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.”