“EDWARD DUNLOP 1907-93
ADMIRERS of his ingenuity and self-sacrifice called Edward Dunlop "a lighthouse of sanity in a universe of madness and suffering".
An army medical officer during World War II, Sir Edward was captured by Japanese forces and made a prisoner of war on the notorious Burma Railway.
even though he suffered malaria, amoebic dysentery and tropical ulcers, unfazed by his capture he continued to battle tirelessly to save wounded, malnourished men. whie a pow he fought for medicines and more humane conditions.
In later years, Sir Edward encouraged forgiveness and stronger links with Asia. Knighted in 1969, he was Australian of the Year in 1976.
During worship on the weekend I began singing "it's a lifestyle not an option." I was seeing a lighthouse keeper, an old english station master with a lantern in his hand in leaning into the driving rain in the middle of the night and a group of soldiers holding a hill.
The lord reminded me of a story i had been told as a child. there had been a ferocious storm and flood and the railway bridge was washed away, the station master went to ride his horse to warn the inbound train that the bridge was out, his horse was lame so he had to trudge through the mud and rain in the middle of the night waving the lantern to stop the train. risking his life in the storm to save the lives of commuters.
the words kept coming, "it is a lifestyle not an option....i believe that jesus christ is lord of all, it is a lifestyle not a choice."
next i saw a lighthouse keeper cleaning the windows climbing flights of stairs in the cold, living in isolation, without the luxuries of modern society to light the lantern every night to warn the ships of danger on the rocks and to guide them into the deep channel, to stay away from the hidden unknown dangers as they came into port. the need for the keeper to keep the lighthouse glass clean, to maintain the lamp, trim the wick, etc. he could not afford to get slack, or the light would grow dim. there were many people on the shores of england, who were eager to light false lights to draw the ships to their doom on the rocks so they could pillage and plunder the goods.
Next I was taken in thought to an image of soldiers on a hill holding the ground not giving in before the onslaught of the enemy. only a small company of men, madness it would have been described as by the civilian with no understanding of the importance of a hill.
god has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. 1 corinthians 1:27.
i felt the lord say to me my eye is on and i am drawing to me the foolish things, the people that will make the sacrifice, the ones that love the unlovely, the ones that will stand for years on end with what looks like no change in their circumstances, but are holding the hills in our nation. the unsung heroes, the soldiers who never give up in the battle, the ones who don't break rank or file, the ones who listen to the generals command, who for them it is a lifestyle not a choice.
The people who will get up in the night and inconvenience themselves for others. those who are diligent and will allow the holy spirit and the word to keep their light bright.
throughout history we have heard the stories of victoria cross recipients, who against all odds, continued to stand and because of this the course of history was changed. i cannot imagine what it would have been like seeing people fall all around you, losing friends, but knowing that you were in a war and you had to hold the ground, waiting for the promised reinforcements.
these men were soldiers who stood for what they believed in, drawing back was not an option.
i felt the lord say that there are those in my army who have stood in isolation, waiting for promises to be fulfilled, some have chosen the will of the lord over celebrity status, i heard him say that your sacrifice has not gone unnoticed and that for some reinforcements are coming. i heard him say tell them to call in what they need.
i saw a closeness with the lord because of your obedience and sacrifice, i saw him standing with you on that hill holding up your arms.
some of you have been placed in situations and claimed these positions for the lord. some are holding areas because of your prayers. some have because of circumstances changed areas of peoples lives they never would have considered.
i next saw the judgement hall of the lord and i saw all the unsung heros with dirt on their face kneeling before the lord hearing his "well done, you have been faithful enter into the joy of your lord."
for those who truly believe the only voice they care about is the lord's, they will do all he requires of them to fulfill the assignment given them by the lord.
Comments