No one can really argue that the wrong side won WWII.

Ok, so maybe there are some crazy people who might. But, the vast majority agrees that the Allied forces fought for a more moral cause than the authoritarian, genocidal Nazi regime and the Axis powers. But did you know how close we were to losing it?

Consider three men who served their country in the Second World War: Omar N. Bradley, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and George S. Patton.

Among other areas, these men all served in a part of the war that usually doesn’t get talked about much: the North African Theatre. In the deserts and mountains of Tunisia, each of these men faced their own struggle. Bradley’s jeep once hit a landmine, which exploded upon impact. Miraculously, he was not killed. Patton literally dodged a bullet and survived the near miss of a sniper while out on the front. Eisenhower, so daunted and worn out by the colossal pressure of leading entire nations in the war, wrote and signed his own resignation letter. His assistant was barely able to talk him out of it.

These three men were all inches and seconds away from having drastically changed (or ended) lives. But what happened next?

Later on in the war, General Bradley led the 1st American army, nicknamed the “Big Red One” onto the beaches of Normandy during D-Day, the largest amphibious assault in human history. Known as the “GI General,” he was a no-nonsense, plainspoken man, an incredibly talented planner and soldier. General George “Blood & Guts” Patton, a visionary of the art of tank warfare and inspiring motivator of soldiers, made crucial decisions and ordered maneuvers that essentially won the Battle of the Bulge, the last major offensive by the enemy. Eisenhower, a man on the verge of quitting his job, went on to be the master planner of D-Day, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, and was elected President of the United States after the war. These three men worked together to lead American forces and the Allies to victory against the forces of an evil man and curb the genocide of millions.

If that landmine had been adjusted by a hair, if that sniper’s bullet had been aimed inches more truly, and if that letter had been placed in the mailbox, it is very likely that the war would have turned out much differently. Maybe catastrophically differently. Somehow, things didn’t go that way. It’s interesting to think about how such a colossal event — the deadliest conflict in human history — which impacted millions of lives, was essentially a game of inches. For all of our striving to forge our own futures and believing that we are our own masters, there’s a big part of life that is simply out of our control. Life is just far too complex and mysterious for us to completely figure it out. Of course, we can (and should) love people, work as hard as we can, plan for the future, and do our due diligence to reach our potential, but eventually we have to have give up control and trust in something.

For some, that might be scary. It’s especially hard for me to realize that I can’t do it all, or even really control my own life. At the root though, I have hope. I have hope that a completely sovereign, loving God is in control of this universe. I know that he is gracious, yet just. I know that he is a good father, and that he has given me a good word and lives inside me. He’s in charge of this game of inches we call life, and every move he makes is for my good.

P.S. — the stories of Generals Eisenhower, Patton, and Bradley were found in the incredibly well-researched book Brothers, Rivals, Victors by Jonathan Jordan. I’m reading it right now and would HIGHLY recommend it!