June 4, 2013 (Tuesday)
“The little boats that ferried from the beach to the big ships in deep water listed drunkenly with the weight of men” — A Dunkirk survivor
On this date, June 4, in 1940, a miracle happened at Dunkirk, Belgium. Several hundred thousand allied troops were backed up to the English Channel as Nazi forces threatened to annihilate them. For nine days, the British responded to the call for help with anything that would float and could carry some people to safety. All kinds of people, and every conceivable kind of vessel was put to use: fishing boats, row boats, pleasure craft, yachts, you name it–it was there. To top it off, a thick fog obscured the view of the Nazis who closed in on the last group to be evacuated, so that they were spared the slaughter that might have taken place. Those rescued lived to fight another day, and many believe they were crucial to the ultimate defeat of the axis powers.
Devotional Thought: Perhaps you have never been threatened with certain death from enemy soldiers as were the allied troups at Dunkirk, but in all probability you have been through experiences in which you felt trapped with no way out. Whatever it was–financial troubles, illness, misunderstandings, loss of wealth, jobs, or business–it could have been one of a thousand ways we can face similar situations in our lives. So we talk with others. We do the best we can. And we pray. Yes, we pray. And God answers. In ways unexpected, He helps us. He uses people who are willing to help. He performs miracles sometimes. But through it all we know beyond the shadow of a doubt that He cares. “Does Jesus care? Oh yes He cares, I know He cares..”