Louie Zamparini, 1934 Olympic runner, survived thirty days on a raft in the Pacific, developed incredible resilience in POW camps in Japan before finding redemption some years later back in the U.S.. His story is told in "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption," by Laura Hillenbrand, a book that I’m recommending to absolutely everyone I know.
After the war, it seemed that Louis’ preferred mode of survival was alcohol. In spite of a loving family, wife, and child, many friends, and an adoring public, his life was a mess. Then one day out of desperation, his wife dragged him to hear Billy Graham, and it seemed that Graham was speaking to him. “Here tonight, there’s a drowning man, a drowning woman, a drowning man, a drowning boy, a drowning girl that is out lost in the sea of life.
According to Hillenbrand, Louie felt spooked and angry, but nevertheless returned the next night, only to try to sneak out. But on his way he heard Graham say, “This is it, God has spoken to you. You come out.” Louie tore home emptied all the liquor bottles in the house into the sink and threw away all his cigarettes. The next morning Louie felt cleansed; his war demons never returned and he spend much of the rest of his life as a Christian speaker telling. his story.
After the war, it seemed that Louis’ preferred mode of survival was alcohol. In spite of a loving family, wife, and child, many friends, and an adoring public, his life was a mess. Then one day out of desperation, his wife dragged him to hear Billy Graham, and it seemed that Graham was speaking to him. “Here tonight, there’s a drowning man, a drowning woman, a drowning man, a drowning boy, a drowning girl that is out lost in the sea of life.
According to Hillenbrand, Louie felt spooked and angry, but nevertheless returned the next night, only to try to sneak out. But on his way he heard Graham say, “This is it, God has spoken to you. You come out.” Louie tore home emptied all the liquor bottles in the house into the sink and threw away all his cigarettes. The next morning Louie felt cleansed; his war demons never returned and he spend much of the rest of his life as a Christian speaker telling. his story.
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