Rebuilding Return Resolve

USS Arizona Oil From Her Bowels Rising to Surface
Some believe when the last WWII vet perishes the oil will cease.

Tomorrow will be Pearl Harbor day.  72 years ago, in just a little over two hours, the Japanese would strike airbases on Oahu, bombs destroying all but one aircraft.  In second volley they dropped and slid torpedoes into waters deemed too shallow for such.  One armor piercing bomb found its way into the munitions hold of the USS Arizona and in moments all men perished in the wake of shrapnel and
devastation, the toll, about one-half of all who perished that day.  It would have been a major defeat for America, but they failed to take out the fuel stores and also failed to take into account American resolve.  All but two ships would be repaired, returning to battle and thankfully all aircraft carriers were out.

Yesterday, for the second time, I walked the grounds of this infamous attack.  Sobering, Unsettling.  Moving.  You can learn some as you watch the faces and spirit of others pacing through exhibits.  I saw tears falling from several in various places something touching their hearts, resonating in brief angst.  Standing on the deck of the USS Missouri, where the Japanese officially surrendered, one lady, overcome with the weight, crumbled in a seat pulling out a tissue.  Indeed, standing on the actual teak boards, where dignitaries of both sides stood is quite moving.

The distance of 72 years and half the Pacific ocean away, the memory of this event might be only a small blip on the radar of most.  For the residents of Hawai'i, especially those on island who were present then, December 7, 1941 haunts them with regularity especially as Christmas draws near. But the American resolve started here, in their families with the spirit of aloha.  The rebuilding, return and resolve of America has always fostered more and we hope to learn a lesson when humbled by the resolve of others whose desire is destruction of the Americans.  Yet ultimately we are spared by the grace of God for there are numerous divine interventions even in WWII that changed the tide of battle which could have been even more devastating for us.

Psalm 33 says:
The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,  the purposes of his heart through all generations.  Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches  all who live on earth— he who forms the hearts of all,  who considers everything they do.

No king is saved by the size of his army;  no warrior escapes by his great strength.  A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;  despite all its great strength it cannot save.  But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,  on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.

We wait in hope for the Lord;  he is our help and our shield.  In him our hearts rejoice,  for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,    even as we put our hope in you.  (NIV).

Indeed, it seems clear to me that God is trying to get our attention again.  As each volley of attempted destruction enters our American lives, it seems to meet more with dependency upon our technology steeped armed forces and less upon the God who delivers enemies into our hands.  My prayer these days is that we remember this lesson in response to The One trying to garner our hearts as we worship the only King who can save and deliver us.  The rebuilding, return and resolve posited in the hands of God will redeem our nation should we choose to listen and follow Him.  The choice is ours; Our pride costing us lives.  May we look to God with humility for even the strongest can face destruction given opportunity by God.

USS Utah
Having been righted this is all that remains above water, about one fourth the length of that remaining underwater.