One of the most remarkable individuals I know is Jim Downing. He turned 102 years old in August 2015. He is also the oldest living survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack at the beginning of WWII.
If you were to speak with him, it would be quickly apparent he has a keen mind, a sense of humor and a great memory for telling stories. You’d learn he spent twenty-four years in the Navy serving both in WWII and the Korean War. In the latter he was the commander of a large ship tackling what he said were “potentially disastrous missions to do the impossible.”
Early in those military years he was introduced to Jesus Christ by a young leader named Dawson Trotman who went on to found The Navigators. As he grew spiritually, Jim wondered “what commanding a ship had to do with the serving Jesus.”
Jim decided to quit the Navy after being invited by Dawson and join him in the work at the Navigators. On the weekend he was to discuss his new ministry role, Dawson drowned trying to save the life of a young girl who fell into a lake.
The Navigator ministry was plunged into crisis and Jim was called upon to run the newly purchased Glen Eyrie Conference Center in Colorado Springs. Jim said, “Those years of commanding the USS Patapsco in Korea gave me the ability to help guide the ministry for three years. That ship proved to be the greatest preparation possible for what I was going to face.”
As Jim and I spoke about his experiences, he told me about the three life commitments he made to God that have guided him over his entire life. I found them to be simple and profound. They could be called the “three nevers:”
- I will never deny Christ by my silence when I should speak for Him.
- I will never deny Christ by my conduct.
- I will never deny Christ by sitting on the bench when the coach (God) says to get into the game.
For point three, he said that we may keep ourselves on the bench due to feelings of inadequacy, a lack of courage or guilt. But he stated emphatically, “If God says you’re qualified, you’re qualified! So, get out there!”
Is there one of his commitments that stand out as something to deepen in your life?
For me, number three hit home. I have been consciously thinking about not holding back and stepping out beyond my comfort zone.
I would be interested in hearing what you think about these commitments. Maybe you have another commitment worth sharing?
My prayer is that if you and I live to be Jim Downing’s age these three commitments will describe our life as much as they do his.
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