George Washington ("W")

In honor of Presidents Day -an edited Time for the Kids lesson Playmaker & I once shared. The book (linked) above was our source.

Daniel 2:23 tells us that God sets up kings and deposes them.

Have you ever wondered what God might be preparing you for - now? mb you're interested in - or good at - certain things bc He plans for you to use that later on. Pastor shared re: how God prepared David in his youth – & I'd say he preserved him as well - for things He'd planned way in advance for David to do when he grew up. David learned so much from being a shepherd boy that he was able to apply when he fought Goliath – & later became King of Israel.

Tonight I’ve asked Playmaker to share w/ you about another man – George Washington - who it seems God began preparing & preserving(!) well in advance bc He had big plans for him. ....a well documented but not so well known part of America's Godly heritage that involved GW before the Revolution began:

The incident occurred in an intense military battle during the French & Indian War. 23 yr old Colonel George Washington ("W"), leading 100 Virginia Buck-skins, joined British General Edward Braddock & 2,300 veteran British troops. Together they set out to expel the French from Ft. Duquesne . After marching hundreds of miles, Braddock halted his troops at Ft. Cumberland before dispatching his force in four waves.

As the 3rd force marched thru' a wooded ravine, they marched right into an ambush. The French & Indians fired at them from under logs, tree tops & behind rocks. Braddock's troops were slaughtered. Only 30 French & Indians were shot, mostly by Washington's troops bc they were more familiar w/ woodland warfare. 26 out of 86 British & American officers were killed & 36 were wounded. "W" was the only officer on horse back not shot down - tho' he was particularly vulnerable - bc he courageously rode back & forth along the front lines delivering Braddock's orders.

"W" took charge when Gen. Braddock was seriously wounded. When Braddock died, "W" assumed the role of military chaplain to conduct his funeral.

Later – "W" recounted that when he removed his jacket after the battle, he found four bullet holes through it - but not one had touched him. Tho' he had horses shot from under him, he hadn't been scratched. He concluded "I now exist in the land of the living by the miraculous care of Providence that protected me beyond all human expectation."

Word spread of God's divine protection of "W".

A few weeks later, Reverend Samuel Davies, a leader in the American Revival known as the Great Awakening, referred to the incident in a sermon given to encourage brave volunteers who banded together to defend their homes against the French & Indians after being left vulnerable by the devastating defeat of the British troops. He shared his hope that Providence had preserved "W" for some important service to his country."

15yrs later, "W" returned to that battle area. An old Indian chief then traveled a great distance to meet w/ him there. He shared that he'd been a leader in that battle - had fought against "W" - & instructed his warriors to shoot down all the officers, knowing if they could defeat the officers, they could destroy the army. The chief claimed his rifle had never been known to miss, but after personally shooting at Washington 17 times w/o hitting him once, the chief concluded "W" must be under the care of the Great Spirit, so he told his troops to stop firing at him. The old chief told "W" he came to pay homage to the man who is the particular favorite of heaven & who can never die in battle.

20 yrs after that battle, "W" was elected as the first president of the United States after serving as General "W" in the Revolutionary War.

Nearly 200 yrs later President Coolidge confirmed that w/o "W" there'd have been no independence, union, constitution, or republic -- & later went on to say, "We can only indicate our reverence for him & thank the Divine Providence which kept him to serve & inspire his fellow man."

"W" himself once stated "I have only been an instrument in the hands of Providence.”