Luck of the Draw
After the 2:00 a.m. funeral service, Bill Towey waited through another long, dark night of uncertainty. He and his comrades continued to seek out the wounded and to get them to their makeshift aid station. Just before first light on June 1, an officer called the remaining medics together and told them that the Germans were just down the road and would soon overrun their position. He didn’t want them all to be killed or captured, but, again, they couldn’t abandon the wounded. To make a terrible decision, he put twenty pieces of paper in his hat. Eight had numbers, representing those who would stay behind. The men drew their lots. Towey drew a blank lot and was immediately dispatched with the others to the beach. He made it off the beach with the last of the survivors.21
I believe that God blessed this officer’s attempt to be fair to all his men under the extreme conditions of the Dunkirk beaches. There are even biblical examples of the Israelites resorting to the casting of lots for certain decisions. In normal circumstances, however, God would not be pleased if we made our decisions by drawing lots or flipping coins. He expects us to go to great lengths to discern his will, including prayer, Bible study, and consultation with other Christians. We need to incorporate this thoughtful approach into our decision making and make every effort to hear God’s voice and his guidance for choices that we have to make.
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
—Proverbs 16:33