By the Grace of God

1 Corinthians 15:9–10 “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

Morrison was drafted by the Army in 1944. A year later at 18-years-old, the Wisconsin native was in Germany helping fight Nazis.

In March of 1945, Morrison and his company were trekking through the hilly terrain near the Rhine River in Germany when they came under attack.

“Once we got up in there, that’s when the Germans started shelling,” said Morrison.

He said soldiers were instructed to stay low until it was safe to move again. As Morrison was reaching down for his weapon another shell came in his direction.

“It exploded. Apparently I was the only one that I know to this day that got hit at all,” he said.

When asked how he survived being so close to the explosion, Morrison paused and said, “Let me show you.”

He went into the next room to retrieve a pocket sized New Testament Bible wrapped in two ziplock bags. The Bible still had a piece of shrapnel stuck near the spine about an inch long.

Morrison said the shrapnel from the blast scraped his face causing severe bleeding.

But the Bible in his field jacket pocket was in a lifesaving position. “That piece of metal lodged in there and the impact of it going into the book knocked me out,” he said.

For the next several hours, Morrison was out cold. He said he had a vision of his brother and sister while he was unconscious, as if it was an out-of-body experience.

Once he regained consciousness and was able to catch up to his company, they couldn’t believe he was alive. Morrison would continue to serve in the Army until he was discharged as a corporal in 1946.

Not Worthy

1 Corinthians 15:9–10 “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

By the Grace of God

1 Corinthians 15:9–10 “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

Hours later, Morrison regained consciousness and caught up with his division. The medics who treated his injuries noticed a hole in his jacket and removed his Bible—the one he carried with him in combat. Three quarters of the way through the New Testament, the near-fatal piece of shrapnel was lodged over 1 Corinthians 15:10, which reads, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.” Without that Bible right where it was, Morrison says, the shrapnel would have punctured his heart.

“I am blessed to be alive,” Morrison said. “That Bible holds a special place in my heart, and every time I look at it I am reminded how lucky I am. I went to church sometimes, but I was never really religious before. After the accident I knew there had to be a God.”

Not in Vain

1 Corinthians 15:9–10 “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”