I Was Talking to Him
Chaplain John Burkhalter suffered with his men on Omaha Beach. He saw landing craft obliterated by direct hits and countless men cut down as they tried to reach the shore. He saw wave after wave pile up on the beach, unable to advance. Every advantage seemed to be with the Germans and every disadvantage with his troops. Through it all he prayed earnestly, with faith that only God could see anyone safely through such a nightmare. In retrospect he was certain that he would never forget those moments. He knew that during the ordeal he had drawn very close to God. In a letter to his wife, he explained:
Nobody can love God better than when he is looking death square in the face and talks to God and then sees God come to the rescue. As I look back through hectic days just gone by to that hellish beach I agree with Ernie Pyle that, “it was a pure miracle we ever took the beach at all.”435 Yes, there were a lot of miracles on the beach that day. God was on the beach D-Day; I know He was because I was talking to Him.436
This story must surely prove beyond doubt that it is possible to find God in any situation. If this man could survive Omaha Beach with that conviction, we can have faith that God will be with us in our day-to-day crises. We can also see here an even more amazing attribute of God. Our relationship with him actually grows stronger as our plight worsens and our reliance on him deepens. We may have to look back to see it, but our personal lows can be and often are our spiritual highs. Have faith that, no matter what pain you are in, he is there when you keep “talking to Him.”
I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
—Deuteronomy 32:34
Soldiers help each other off the beach. (National Archives)
Medics give aid to the wounded. (National Archives)