I love to watch classic movies because most are intricate stories. Not just slap some sex, profanity, blow a few things up, and shoot people type of movies, even though they can have the exact attributes. Last weekend I watched a 1949 Gregory Peck war movie called Twelve O’Clock High. The storyline concerned the American bombardiers at the beginning of WWII and the stress mentally and physically they had to endure. Planes, gas, and bombs were limited because our factories just began production on war materials.
And their leaders were also affected because they had to send the men out on dangerous missions without enough supplies and support. These commanders found themselves torn between commanding and caring for their crews. And imagine the young men who had never been in war and not knowing what to anticipate while watching their comrades go down in fiery flames each day.
Gregory Peck’s group was the group of focus in the movie. At one point, morale and confidence are so low that excuses start to build up as to why they can not fly. Gregory Peck goes to the base’s doctor to report on who was fit to fly the next day. Now Peck is tough, but the doctor has babied the men, and he began to explain about their pseudo colds, etc., knowing most were mental avoidance. To which Peck replies,” Paint them with iodine and mark them for duty.”
Ouch! When I grew up in the sixties, iodine was one of the mainstays of a family’s medicine cabinet. The privilege of medical care was on a needed basis. And a little child did look “painted” with all their scratches and scrapes.
Tough times can test us in every area of life, and even our faith can undergo our scrutiny and doubt. During these difficult times, we need to “paint ourselves with iodine” or “paint ourselves with God’s word” to come out of the fire as pure as gold!
“These [trials] have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:7).
Instead of whining and complaining, bite your tongue, and ask God what to do. Read your Bible so that God may reveal to you what path He wants you to pursue during this time. And each day discover something positive and write it down in a notebook. It is significant to reflect and realize how far God brought you, strengthens your faith! And always remember, “this too shall pass.”
God Bless You!
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