"There were 5 Allied Offensive’s in Europe during WWII. I flew in all 5.” He began as he spanned the miles and the years as though they were 
but a moment and right next door. Today I was privileged to spend some time with 87 year old, WWII Veteran Joe Gibson in his apartment at the Assisted Living Center that he now calls home. The Southern Alabama accent is dignified and thick. He walks with a hand carved spiral Hickory cane with a deer hoof for a handle…and no, you’ve probably never heard of him, but I’ll probably never forget him. He carries his aging, and hurting, 6 foot something frame with a grace and nobility befitting a cultured southern gentleman. When I asked if I could have my picture taken with him he responded that he would be honored to have his picture taken with me…his picture taken with me…but I digress, for this story is about the unexpected results, and the unforeseeable ripples across space and time that come from someone being all in. I didn’t have a recorder running, so unless you get to visit with Joe and hear the story yourself before he passes away, you’ll just have to take my word for it. Here is the story he told me…
but a moment and right next door. Today I was privileged to spend some time with 87 year old, WWII Veteran Joe Gibson in his apartment at the Assisted Living Center that he now calls home. The Southern Alabama accent is dignified and thick. He walks with a hand carved spiral Hickory cane with a deer hoof for a handle…and no, you’ve probably never heard of him, but I’ll probably never forget him. He carries his aging, and hurting, 6 foot something frame with a grace and nobility befitting a cultured southern gentleman. When I asked if I could have my picture taken with him he responded that he would be honored to have his picture taken with me…his picture taken with me…but I digress, for this story is about the unexpected results, and the unforeseeable ripples across space and time that come from someone being all in. I didn’t have a recorder running, so unless you get to visit with Joe and hear the story yourself before he passes away, you’ll just have to take my word for it. Here is the story he told me…
I was a crew chief on the ground
, and an engineer in the air. We flew personnel carriers, dropped paratroopers, in all 5 offensives, yes, Normandy too. I never was trained to be a navigator, I would have liked to though. I learned how to do it well enough, even learned how to fly a plane, without ever going to flight school, I spent so much time up in one; it’s really not that difficult, anyone could do it. The good Navigators could tell us where we were and set a course for us just from looking at the stars, I never was that good. I was a Navigator for the replacement pilots they sent, the really young ones…we lost so many pilots…they couldn’t go on missions until they had some experience in the planes in Europe so I would navigate for the new guys on training missions. Those poor guys, they were scared to death. Did you know there is an airfield on top of the Rock of Gibraltar? I landed there one time. You know, when you’re in something like that, flying over enemy territory, on all those missions…we flew at night you know…but when
you do that, you always wonder what you would do if you got shot down. I always wondered, would I be able to stand up to the torture without cracking? Would I be able to take it, or would I turn against my country?
, and an engineer in the air. We flew personnel carriers, dropped paratroopers, in all 5 offensives, yes, Normandy too. I never was trained to be a navigator, I would have liked to though. I learned how to do it well enough, even learned how to fly a plane, without ever going to flight school, I spent so much time up in one; it’s really not that difficult, anyone could do it. The good Navigators could tell us where we were and set a course for us just from looking at the stars, I never was that good. I was a Navigator for the replacement pilots they sent, the really young ones…we lost so many pilots…they couldn’t go on missions until they had some experience in the planes in Europe so I would navigate for the new guys on training missions. Those poor guys, they were scared to death. Did you know there is an airfield on top of the Rock of Gibraltar? I landed there one time. You know, when you’re in something like that, flying over enemy territory, on all those missions…we flew at night you know…but when
He spoke quietly, with intensity. “You know, three of my buddies got shot down. They were in another plane, they got shot down, and they were captured by the Germans. I didn’t know what they would do to them. After they had them a while, they put them in front of the firing squad. They lined them up in front of a wall that was splattered with blood, brains and bullet holes. There were parts of the bodies of dead American Soldiers there. The Germans offered them a US Cigarette, and they said ‘no’. Then they offered them a candy bar, and they said ‘no’. So the 
German commander told his firing squad to shoot them. Just then a Major came in and said “let me speak to these men…” He was able to negotiate their release. They did it. They stood up to the Germans, they didn’t lose their nerve, they refused to turn against the United States, and when I learned that, I knew I could do it too. After that, I never doubted that I would crumble under torture; I never doubted that I would die before I would turn against my country. It gave me courage to know they did it, and if they could do it I could do it too.”
He got courage to be all in because his buddies were willing to pay the ultimate price to be all in before him. He was en-couraged by their courage. And you know what else? I was en-couraged by their courage too, just because he chose to spend 20 minutes of what life he has left to tell me the story…and then connect the dots for me. Think about that for a moment, almost seventy years ago, three young soldiers refused a cigarette, a candy bar, and a Nazi offer to spare their lives in a courtyard in Germany. A courtyard covered with the blood, brains, and bullet holes of those who did the same before them. And now, nearly seventy years later, and 8000 miles away, a 47 year old preacher they would never know existed was encouraged by their choice to be all in. Does it do that for you? Or are you too cynical? That’s what I want you to consider today…that your decision to be all in affects far more people than you can ever imagine. Just like the negative overspray from your life gets on others, your cowardice or courage either en-courages others, or dis-courages others…lots of others…even others you will never know existed.
Paul knew this. [No surprise there.] He told some first century Hebrew Christians, who were thinking about taking Satan’s offer…to turn their back on Christ, become a traitor in trade for deliverance from persecution…He told them:
Seeing that you are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,
run with patience the race that is set before you...
run with patience the race that is set before you...
What witnesses? The one’s he had just finished telling the stories of. Hebrews 11 is the All In Hall of Fame: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Moses, Barach, Samson, those who defeated armies in the name of God, received their dead brought back to life again; and those who were beaten, sawn in pieces, tortured, etc…These all stand as witnesses that the race is worth the running. The life is worth the living. And yes, the death is worth the dying. It gave Paul courage [He was later murdered because he was a Christian], and he knew it would give us courage too.
So, I guess this leaves me asking whether my 'all in' life will encourage or my 'not all in' life will discourage others. Oh, yeah, and what about you?
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