The older I get the more I think all things look alike. This sometimes applies to people. I remember standing on “The Spanish Steps” in Rome and seeing Bub Collard in the crowd. Once, while watching Bo, Brock, and Blair play Upward Basketball, I was sure the gentleman sitting directly across the floor was the waiter who spilled soup in my lap at a restaurant in Prague. A few years back, in Trafalgar Square I asked a guy to take a picture of Cindy and me. I knew he was Barry Corbin of Lubbock. (I was wrong---the guy was from Lufkin)
The late, great sportswriter Blackie Sherrod of the Dallas Times Herald always featured a segment called “Separated at Birth.” Think Mike Leech and Vince Gill, or Chris Cooper and Chris Mulkey, or even Winston Churchill and any English bulldog. For years I believed Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine were sisters---oh wait…they were. My bad. Seriously, we do see many things about others that are similar. Appearance is one thing but mostly we see similarities in speech, actions, or character. How ‘bout those who share hardships or handicaps?
Remember “The King’s Speech?” George VI never wanted to be King of England. But as King, it was his responsibility to give a speech to the entire world concerning England’s war against Nazi Germany. This would be the most important speech the King would ever make. The problem? King George VI, or Bertie, had a terrible stutter. This address was important because it would either make or break the civilian war effort required for those perilous times of World War II. Only after long hours of work with a speech therapist and mustering a considerable amount of self-discipline was this possible. Though less than six minutes long, the King’s speech united the country and rallied the people successfully.
Two years later another speech would grab the attention of all mankind. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, American President Franklin D. Roosevelt would address Congress and ask them to declare war on Japan. The President would be driven to Capitol Hill where he would enter the House Chamber, walk to the podium, and, with the eyes of the world upon him, give the most important speech he would ever make. The problem? Franklin D. Roosevelt, a victim of polio, could not walk---he was paralyzed from the waist down. Would he allow Hitler and Hirohito to see him in a wheel chair? Never! With his leg braces locked in a standing position and holding the arm of son Peter, he used his shoulders to propel each leg forward in a slow, tortuous motion. To the cameras, the President appeared to walk unhurriedly and deliberately down the aisle to the rostrum. There, he gave the speech of his life and America was united as never before. Roosevelt’s speech was a little over six minutes long.
Was God behind this Herculean effort put forth by both men? I believe so. Although I know little of the relationship each had with God, I know much prayer was involved. Both men risked humiliation. What if Bertie had been unable to speak? He would have become the laughingstock of the world. What if FDR had fallen? He would have been pitied as a weakling. But, in the darkest hours, the leaders of two great countries reached down and pulled out something extra that neither thought they had. Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. The King and the President truly became leaders, and the rest, as they say, is history. Why not give God a chance to help you do something great.