Oh, What a Sacrifice

There is a story which comes down to us from WWI in which a French Army officer was badly wounded by a German mortar shell. Lt. Jacques’ left arm was severely mauled, and he was quickly loaded onto an ambulance and shipped back to a nearby field hospital.

 

As he was readied for the operating room, and fading in and out, he heard a doctor say, “Oh, what a fine young man. Oh, what a sacrifice!”

 

When he awoke, the officer rubbed his eyes and looked at the place where his arm once hung. Below his shoulder there was only space. As the lieutenant slowly gained lucidity, a nearby nurse repeated the surgeon’s words, “Oh, what a fine young man. Oh, what a sacrifice!”

 

The young man cast a glance her way, and addressed her. Looking down at his bandaged shoulder, he replied, “This was no sacrifice. This was my gift to my country!”

 

Such a poignant and awesome statement.

 

I think forgiveness is like that. There is someone right now whom I am in the process of forgiving. There are those among us who we may feel don’t deserve to be forgiven. But I think if we regard it as an undeserved gift, well, that’s makes all the difference

By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "Writings"

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