First of all I am not bragging but I have read more than 200 books over the past 8 years and by far other than the Bible, the book that has had the most impact on my life is The Travelers Gift by Andy Andrews. The following is from a small part of that book based on the decision "I am A Person Of Action." It is a true story and had the outcome been different you and I would not be living in the United States of America today.
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was a 34 year old school teacher from Maine during the Civil War. It was a hot humid day on July 2, 1683 and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was in the fight of his life. He was stationed at the far left edge of a group of 80,000 men strung out in a line across hills and fields stretching all the way to a little town called Gettysburg. He was placed there with instructions no matter what, not to let the confederates through his post. If he failed, the rebels would barricade the high ground and the union army of the Potomac would forfeit. Eighty Thousand men would be caught from behind on a down hill charge with no protection. To win, the rebels would have come through Chamberlain. Chamberlain knew he could not retreat.
At 2:30, the first charge came from the fifteenth and forty seventh Alabama running uphill as fast as they could and firing at Chamberlain's men who were stationed on a rock wall. Chamberlain's men pushed the rebels back on four consecutive attacks, each attack growing weaker in number until on the fifth attack, they had used the last of their ammunition and had been knocked down to less than 100 men. One hundred men, beaten, bloodied and out of ammunition. The call came from one of Chamberlain's men, "they're forming up again Colonel and they have been reinforced." His own men begged him to retreat. They faced insurmountable odds, the enemy was 400 strong and Chamberlain's men were less than 100 with no ammunition. Chamberlain stood atop the rock wall as he watched the advancing tide coming up the hill his own men asking him to retreat. He just stood there, deep in thought, "we can't stay here, we can't retreat." When I am faced with doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act. He turned his back on the advancing rebels, looked down at his men and said "Fix Bayonets!" "Fix Bayonets now and execute a great right wheel" His troops just stood there mouths open in awe, "what does he mean?" but Chamberlain was running down the line already with his sword raised, FIX BAYONETS NOW and with the passion hat was born with righteousness he gave gave the command, Charge Charge Charge and 80 men followed him down the hill in full charge with no ammo towards a reinforced rebel army of 400 strong. Sure that this was not the same men they are exhausted and beaten, sure they had been reinforced the rebels layed down their weapons and ran and within a few short minutes Chamberlain had defeated the rebels.
Historians have determined that had Chamberlain not charged that day, the south would have won at Gettysburg and would have won the war. Historians have suggested had the south won that day and won the war that the United States we know today would actually have turned into 13 or 14 fragmented countries. Which means had Chamberlain not charged when Hitler swept across Europe in the 1940's, the United States would not have been there to stand in the breech.
The United States Of America stands today because one man made the decision to take action. What can you acheive with the decision to take action. Don't sell yourself short. Remember Chamberlin questioned his importanced and even felt sorry for his men because in his oppinion "what did he have to offer anyways?"
What do you have to offer. will you retreat or will you fix bayonets and charge?
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