Louis Zamperini ran the 5,000 meters at the 1936 Berlin Olympics at age 19. He finished eighth, and his last lap was so fast that people remembered it for years. Most people would call that the high point of a life. For Louis, it was the start.
Lost at sea
In May 1943, his B-24 bomber crashed in the Pacific. Eight of the eleven men on board died. Louis and two others lived on a small raft for 47 days, until they washed up in the Marshall Islands.
They were captured right away by the Japanese Navy. Louis spent the rest of the war in prison camps, where he was beaten and mistreated, especially by one guard nicknamed The Bird. He came home in 1945 after the family had been told he was gone.
The war that followed him home
Coming home did not end it. Louis struggled with nightmares and with drinking. He married Cynthia in 1946, and the marriage nearly broke too.
In 1949 Cynthia talked him into attending a Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles. He gave his life to Christ there. He said the nightmares stopped, and he began to forgive the men who had hurt him.
Back to Japan
In 1998 he carried the torch for the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, not far from where he had been held. He tried to meet The Bird to forgive him in person. The man refused. Louis forgave him anyway. He died in 2014 at age 97.
What stays with me
He did not get free when the camp doors opened. He got free when he let go of the hate. I want that for every person who reads this. Whatever you are carrying, you can put it down.
Source: read more about the facts here.
Keep reading
- More motivation
- Faith and hope
- Good news stories A boy who ran
Louis Zamperini grew up in Torrance, California, the son of Italian immigrants. As a boy he was bullied, and his father taught him to box. His older brother Pete helped turn his energy toward running at Torrance High School. In 1934 he set a world interscholastic mile record. At nineteen he made the 1936 Olympic team in the 5000 meters and finished eighth in Berlin. His fast final lap in that race was talked about long afterward.
The long years after
Louis earned a scholarship to the University of Southern California, and his collegiate mile record stood for fifteen years. He graduated in 1940 and joined the Army Air Corps before the war. After the war he rebuilt his life and became a motivational speaker, talking about getting through hard things and forgiving. He died in Los Angeles in 2014 at age 97. Laura Hillenbrand’s book Unbroken carried his story to millions of readers.
>What this story says to me
There is a lot of weight in this story about forgiveness. Holding on to anger rarely hurts the other person. It mostly weighs on us.
Forgiveness is not saying what happened was fine. It is deciding you will not carry it forever.
Where it meets your life
Is there someone you are still angry at? You do not need to contact them. You can start with a private decision and a prayer.
Freedom often begins in a quiet moment like that.
One thing to do today
Write down one thing you are ready to let go of. Say it out loud, then fold the paper and throw it away.
Lighter days come one decision at a time.
What forgiveness costs and gives
Forgiving someone does not mean what they did was acceptable. It means you stop letting it control you. It can take a long time, and it is often a daily choice.
Many who forgive say they feel lighter, as if they put down a heavy bag.
Steps toward letting go
Name the hurt honestly. Pray or talk it through with someone safe. Decide you will not seek revenge. Wish them well, even in a small way. Repeat as often as needed.
If you need to, set boundaries so you stay safe while you forgive.
Find freedom
Think about what you could do with the energy you spend on anger. Spend it on family, on your health or on someone who needs you. Freedom starts the day you decide to let go.
Words from Positive Phil
Encourage someone today and watch your own day change.
