WACKY WEDNESDAY WISDOM: In it For the Long Haul

     December, 1944. World War II. Belgium. German forces have attacked Allied forces- including numerous American units along the Western front. A little blip on the map town in Belgium. Bastogne. The U.S. 101st Airborne totally surrounded by Germans. Low on supplies and ammunition. Outgunned and outnumbered. Freezing to the bone with inadequate cold gear clothing. Miserable. Virtually hopeless situation.
     Not so fast. Virtually hopeless does not mean hopeless. When the German general sent a truce messenger with an offer of surrender that would "prevent needless bloodshed", it seemed the battle would end soon. But when handed the note, U.S. Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe immediately uttered his famous reply- "Nuts!"
     I shall translate. In modern day terms, McAuliffe was basically saying- "Baloney" or "Hogwash" or "Go jump in a lake" or "Take it and shove it" or in the most respectful terms- "On the contrary, Sir, we're in it for the long haul". (The Allies held out and eventually prevailed).
     A while back, after a conversation with a friend, I began to think a lot about what it truly means to be in it for the long haul. I decided it means being committed to the end. It means permanence. It means unwavering. (Back to that conversation with my friend in a moment).
     The folks who built Mount Rushmore- the last of which died a week or so back- worked for fourteen years to complete the task. St. Peter's Basilica took 144 years to build. The Great Wall of China reportedly took over 2000 years to build. Definitely in it for the long haul.
     I once knew a fine older gentleman named Charles who was in it for the long haul, too. One evening after a fellowship dinner at our church, he and I were scrubbing some pots and pans in the fellowship hall kitchen. As we cleaned he glanced out toward the tables in the dining area and noticed his wife Sally wiping and cleaning tables. I could tell he was mesmerized looking at her. I asked him how long they had been married. Without taking his eyes off her he said to me- "Over sixty years, and I'm beginning to think this just might work out." It remains the most romantic phrase I have ever heard uttered. And Charles remained in it for the long haul until the day he died a few years back.
     Which leads me back to the conversation with my friend a while back. He was struggling with "the whole faith thing", as he called it. Discouraged and disappointed, he was contemplating giving up on the Lord due to a number of things that had happened in his life. I'm not in touch with my friend much anymore but my prayer is that he has remained in it for the long haul.
     Hebrews 6:11 reminds us to "show diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized" and James 1:12 says "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him". In other words, stay in it for the long haul.
     Airlines consider any flights that last over seven hours to be a "long haul". The Christian faith journey is much longer, what with its turbulent ups and downs. With its rough spots and shifting. With its moments of anxiety and uncertainty. But we are promised blessings beyond measure if we buckle our seat belts and hang on for the eventual landing, at which time remaining in it for the long haul will be totally worth the arrival at our destination.
     Will we let discouragement and despair wear us down? Will we surrender and give in to the enemy who tells us it's not worth it to persevere? I think you know the answer . . . . Nuts.