I’m writing a new book. This one doesn’t use foul language, or go into salacious detail about my early days that were wasted on sex, drugs, witchcraft, or violence. It is a book about how God continued to love me in spite of all of my rebellion and the incredible patience that He’s afforded me (literally for decades) as He changed and shaped me. Although none of us ever achieve the sum of what we should be in this lifetime, He ultimately has transformed my life into one that He can use to glorify His name.
I’m thinking about naming this book: “Broken”.
There is a best-selling book written by Laura Hillenbrand and subsequent movie entitled “Unbroken” and that is where I got the idea for the name for my book. Unbroken is about the life of Louis Zamperini. As a young man he was an incorrigible delinquent. As a teenager, he channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics. But when World War II began, the athlete became an airman, embarking on a journey that led to a doomed flight on a May afternoon in 1943. When his Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean, against all odds, Zamperini survived, adrift on a foundering life raft. Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater, being captured by the Japanese and serving time in a horrible prison camp with a sadistic sociopathic commander. Driven to the absolute brink of his endurance, Zamperini survived his suffering through hope, resolve, and humor and endured brutality with rebellion. The name of the book is indicative of his character and will to live.
Nothing could break Zamperini and through it all he remained Unbroken!
My book describes the rebellious nature I carried with me for a major portion of my life and the often painful and tragic consequences that I endured as a result. This was not just confined to early years, but after I emerged from them and began chasing after different worldly lusts including money, power, material things and fame. The consequences I’ve endured because of my poor choices in this lifetime would make most people readily submit, but in my case suffering and tragedy merely seemed to lead to more defiance. Like Louis Zamperini I was “unbroken” and it looked like I would stay that way.
Interestingly God never gave up on me. I was stubborn and wild as a never ridden stallion with eyes wide, nostrils flaring. I bucked, reared up, kicked and crazily charged around the corral of life until I eventually would break free and run away with reckless abandon free as the wind.
Try as I might I did not get very far though, and soon enough I would feel the harsh burn of the rope around my neck as the Lord lassoed me and drug me back home. Time and time again I broke away, only to pay a heavy price for my folly.
Today I see all that has happened to me as a good thing, but as I was living through the purge and burning refinement of the Lord’s shaping me into the man that He desired me to become it was impossible to see. Often the punishment did not seem to fit the crime and I was resentful of the hard lessons that I endured often for years at a time.
Today I barely look over that fence, much less try to break out and run free. The truth is that I don’t want to be free. I’ve seen most everything on the other side of the fence and I like it just fine on this side.
I and those who knew me used to think that nothing could ever break me.
Boink! Wrong – Wrong – Wrong!
I’m broken now and it is the best thing that ever happened to me.
I am convinced that I will never understand grace. God’s love is truly incomprehensible. As for me, I would never have kept fooling with me and written Bob Williamson off as being incorrigible, but He patiently kept working with me and continues to do so to this very day. Praise His Holy Name.
Fortunately God doesn’t see us as we ARE, but as what we CAN BE with His help. Selah!
Know anybody you have completely given up on? God hasn’t given up on them and neither should you. Pray for them and expect a miracle!
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you. declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
July 7, 2015 – Click here to listen