Tenacity

“Don’t give up because God never gave up on you." ~ Unknown

During his 90 years on earth, the man knew plenty about failure.  His early professional life was largely a string of random enterprises, most of them unsuccessful.

Due to a troubling relationship with his stepfather, young David dropped out of school and left home when he was just 12 years old.  Four years later he lied about his age to join the Army and was sent to Cuba.  He was discharged after just four months.

Biographers would describe him as a scrappy, hot-tempered man who loved to swear, and despite a strong work ethic, often found himself unemployed.  He was a farmhand, an army mule-tender, a locomotive fireman, an aspiring lawyer, an insurance salesman, a ferryboat entrepreneur, a manufacturer, a tire salesman, an amateur obstetrician, an (unsuccessful) political candidate, and an airport owner/manager.  He simply couldn’t hold a job.

What he did possess was an intense drive to overcome all the hardships in his life.

In 1930, the Shell Oil Company offered him a service station rent free, in return for a percentage of sales.  What started as a gas station kitchen expanded into a motel-restaurant.  He began to serve chicken, ham and steak dishes.  The restaurant burned down 9 years later.

He rebuilt a 140-seat restaurant pressure-frying his chicken, a method he later patented, which sped up the cooking process.  The café became a so popular for its fried chicken and biscuits, that the state’s Governor designated him a Kentucky ‘Colonel.’

But as the unfortunate man approached retirement age, highway construction redirected traffic away from the popular restaurant he’d built over nearly 20 years.  In 1956 at the age of 65, he auctioned off the business for just enough to settle his taxes and other debts.  He was broke.

With nothing but his $105 social security check and a killer chicken recipe he hit the road looking for restaurants to buy the rights to his formula.

He lived in his car for 2 years and was rejected 1,009 times before finally finding a restaurant owner who agreed to use his recipe.

His franchise formula was unusual.  He sold his "Original Recipe" of 11 herbs and spices to franchisees and trained them on his cooking process.  They paid him 5 cents for each chicken sold.

By 1963, there were more than 600 locations.  In 1964, Colonel Harland David Sanders sold the company to investors for the equivalent of about $15 million today.  Expansion accelerated, and the company went public in 1966.  Franchisees did very well for themselves, and Kentucky Fried Chicken became a restaurant success story.  Today the chain of more than 39,000 restaurants operates in more than 50 countries.  Its annual global sales is second only to McDonald's.

All because he never gave up!

“My Child, I have a wonderful plan for your life.  If that means going through a dark tunnel of conflict, take it and keep pressing forward.  There will always be Light on the other side.   Bless you!”  God

Priceless Wisdom

“He shows no favoritism; God treats all people alike." ~ Act 10:34

Andrew was a big city kid – always had been, hoped he’d always be.  The sense of freedom, the limitless activities, the anonymity it provided.  But when his company offered him a promotion in a small, rural town, Andrew felt instantly apprehensive.

He’d been warned that small towns were deceptively quiet – feelings run deep often leading to conflicts at a very personal level.  Everyone knows everyone else’s business.  But then again, it might just be the jolt he needed to jump-start a rather dull, uneventful existence.

He walked along a main street that hadn’t changed much in 75 years.  Across the street, 3 older men sat in the shade of an awning outside the general store.  They waved.  Andrew smiled to himself at the Americana picture they depicted before shyly returning the gesture.

Entering the diner, a small bell above the door announced his arrival.  A few customers looked up briefly before returning to their conversations.  Behind the counter was an open window to the kitchen.  It had a vintage feel – original but well kept.

Shirley, a sixty-ish waitress suggested he find a spot anywhere.  Andrew opted for an empty stool.  “What’ll y'all have?” she inquired before he even had a chance to sit down.

“Whatever you recommend,” he replied, hoping to fit in.  Soon she placed a heaping helping of roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans and a single slice of white bread.  The best he’d eaten in a long time, maybe ever.

As the lunch crowd thinned and hoping to make conversation, Andrew motioned for a refill.  Shirley quickly obliged.  Andrew wondered how many dozen times she’d done the same today.  He asked, “What kind of people live in this town?”

She answered with a question.  “Where’re you from son?  What’re people like there?”

“I’m from Chicago,” he responded.  “I loved it there – friendly people, lots to do, I actually hated leaving.  Some disadvantages, but one adjusts.”

“You’re in luck,” Shirley replied.  “People here are warm and generous; always busy.  Folks who leave often return.”  With that she scanned the diner continuing her hospitality.

Confused by her response, Andrew stared pensively into his mug.  When she returned to warm his coffee, Andrew queried the old woman again.  “What if I’d told you that the people where I come from are closed minded, mean spirited and lazy?”

Mable didn’t think twice before answering.  “I’d have said that you surely won’t like it here.  Grinning, she added, “People here are unfriendly, lethargic and pigheaded.”

Priceless wisdom.

Life’s an endless journey, and at every phase we learn something new.  Some things are taught – others are caught.  The way we judge others is often just a reflection of our own attitudes and values.  Shove preconceived notions out the door by talking less and listening more in 2017.

Father, help me to lay down my self-imposed responsibility of judging the heart, motives, intentions, and actions of the people in my life.  Substitute my condemning thoughts with loving ones; critical with compassionate ones.  Amen

"Winning Isn't Everything"

“When pride comes, shame follows; it’s wiser to be modest." ~ Proverbs 11:2

It began at a Halloween party.  Her father told his 7-year-old daughter to watch over a shy, little girl.  Esther, dressed as a pirate found the black Ninja named Kay and grasped her hand.  They didn’t let go the rest of the night.  That single act marked the start of a remarkable bond.

Kay and Ester weren’t simply good friends, they’d become part of each other’s souls; the kind of friendship that blooms in the center of your heart.  Theirs was a kinship that grew from a seed basking in the warm soil to a majestic tree with massive roots and strapping, powerful limbs.

Among the things they shared in common, the two began training in taekwondo, a Korean martial art that, unlike karate, emphasizes the feet more than the hands.  Soon they were competing at the highest levels; eventually advancing to the finals in the Flyweight division at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

As they feared it would, the time came for the two best friends to fight.  Dueling black belts, as close as sisters, were each one victory away from claiming the single remaining spot on the U.S. Olympic team bound for Sydney.  One was destined to win; the other would see her dream die.

Reporters and photographers were poised to record the intense competition between two girls who’d been close for so long.  But a sports story would soon be overshadowed by a far more important friendship story.

The two combatants approached each other on the mat, bowed and turned to the referee, who would start the bout.  But before a single blow was struck, the referee awarded the match and a spot on the Olympic team, to Kay.

Moments earlier, Kay had dislocated her kneecap in a semifinal match and could barely stand.  Though ranked #1 in the world at her weight, it was doubtful that she could compete against her best friend.  In an extraordinary display of selflessness, Esther had forfeited rather than “beat someone who’d already been beaten.”

Esther later explained, “It hurt, but winning a gold medal isn't everything.  There are other ways to be a champion.  My gold metal is in my heart.''

In allowing the better taekwondo fighter to represent the United States in Sydney, she won a personal battle over ego and selfishness.  Amidst frequent stories of cheating and taking unfair advantage in order to win at any price, Esther showed how to win by losing.

The Apostle Paul wrote (1 Corinthians 9:1-15) about giving up certain “rights” for the sake of people he loved.  Parents do it all the time for their children.  And occasionally friends make noble gestures like Esther’s.  C.S. Lewis wrote: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”  Amen

Change me, Lord.  Change me from the inside.  Open my eyes to the blessings of humility. Let me not see humility as the world sees it, but in its beauty and fullness of joy.  Amen

Unshakable

“The Lord will strengthen His people and bless them with peace." ~ Psalm 29:11

To say EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) Technicians are tough would be like saying Ironman competitors are physically fit!

EOD Techs disarm explosive devices, neutralize chemical threats, even defuse nuclear weapons.  The world’s ultimate Bomb Squad, they perform some of the most harrowing, dangerous work to keep others from harm’s way.

Highly trained and with nerves of steel, EOD Techs sometimes get a bad rap because they play a little fast and loose with grooming standards and uniform regulations.  But when and where it counts, they’re true professionals.

Taylor Morris was one such specialist.  Having been hooked on outdoor adventure at an early age, Taylor excelled at extreme water sports and rock climbing.  He developed great composure underwater - a quality that would later make him a perfect candidate for the Navy's EOD Team.

Near Kandahar province in Afghanistan, Taylor was leading a Special Forces team to a classified location when he stepped on an IED.

He remembers the explosion, being tossed across the battlefield like a rag doll.  Landing on his back, he realized with horrible certainty, that all four limbs were gone.

Though bleeding to death, Morris yelled to the oncoming medics NOT to come get him, putting their safety in front of his own life.  “It would only have hurt me more if somebody stepped on another one," he later recalled.

The area was cleared by another EOD and medics eventually administered casualty care.  Morris remained alert throughout the ordeal.  Three days later he began the long, painful rehab process on U.S. soil.  That’s when his tenacity shifted to high gear.

More than 2.4 million Americans have served in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Of those combat veterans, 1,400 have had amputations.  Only four survived quadruple amputations; Morris became the fifth. He was discharged from the hospital just two months after his accident.

This story continued with even happier moments.  Three years later he married his soulmate and high school sweetheart.  Actor Gary Sinise brought his Lt. Dan Band to their hometown to help raise money to build them an accessible “smart home.”  Finishing his education is next on his list, just behind competing in a 5k race.

For him and other wounded warriors, life goes on after devastating injuries.  And their home life presents a new kind of battle, not fighting enemy combatants, but rather battling the scars and injuries that war leaves behind.

Lord, we pray on the celebration of our Country’s independence, for all those serving in our Armed Forces.  Keep them strong, faithful and safe.  Bless our Wounded Warriors; give them renewed patience, courage, and Your healing grace.  Wrap Your loving arms around our Gold Star families, give them the peace and strength they need for each day without their loved ones.

“Say a prayer for peace for every fallen son.  Set my spirit free; let me lay down my gun.  Sweet Mother Mary I'm so tired, but I can't come home 'til the last shot's fired.”  ~ Trace Atkins, “Til the Last Shot’s Fired”