Roosevelt, Dragons and Grit

Sermon last Sunday by Ron Walters of Salem Broadcasting and former pastor, was insightful. So creative and a little quirky, which I love. Especially when you add the gospel truth and Numbers 13.

So he started out with a Teddy Roosevelt story, which is like a "you had me at hello" moment in my little world. It was the story of when Roosevelt was shot and continued with his scheduled speech - with bullet in his body.

This is the story...October 14, 1912

Before a campaign speech in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Theodore Roosevelt, the presidential candidate for the Progressive Party, is shot at close range by saloonkeeper John Schrank while greeting the public in front of the Gilpatrick Hotel. Schrank's .32-caliber bullet, aimed directly at Roosevelt's heart, failed to mortally wound the former president because its force was slowed by a glasses case and a bundle of manuscript in the breast pocket of Roosevelt's heavy coat--a manuscript containing Roosevelt's evening speech. Schrank was immediately detained and reportedly offered as his motive that "any man looking for a third term ought to be shot."

Roosevelt, who suffered only a flesh wound from the attack, went on to deliver his scheduled speech with the bullet still in his body. After a few words, the former "Rough Rider" pulled the torn and bloodstained manuscript from his breast pocket and declared, "You see, it takes more than one bullet to kill a Bull Moose." He spoke for nearly an hour and then was rushed to the hospital.

That is a strong man. I need to look up the contents of that speech, because like Mr. Walters said today, it must have been his least politically correct, I may die tomorrow element to it, which is very cool.

Notes from sermon:

Job 5:7 says, "Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward." Job had a bio filled of trouble, dragons really. Two things got Job through his valley of dragons: his faith in a faithful God and his grit.

We all have our dragons-- unannounced, uninvited, and unwanted dragons who daily intimidate our faith with their fire-breathing roar and menacing looks. They delight in creating hardships,hoping we'll forget all about God's goodness and protection.

More times than not, these dragons are only imagined, a figment of our doubts.

The GRIT comes in the keeping our eyes off the exaggerated lies and deception of the dragon. Don't let the dragons get bigger and bigger. Make the choice to GET GRIT. Like Roosevelt, like Moses in Numbers 13.

Not exceptionally thought provoking. But I am constantly telling my boys "do hard things" ...or "man up"....now I am adding "get grit". It really does take that. Keeping eyes on God, not letting the dragons take our lives.

Get Grit.