I will give thanks to
the LORD because of his
righteousness
and will sing praise
to the name of the Lord Most High.
Psalms
7:17
Born in 1890, Eddie Rickenbacker, was an American pioneer.
He became famous as an ace pilot in World War I, receiving the Medal of Honor
for his service and heroics. He was also a race car driver and automotive
designer, a government consultant in military matters and a pioneer in air
transportation. During his lifetime, Rickenbacker worked with many influential
civilian and military leaders. They counted on his keen insight into technology
and his vision for the future of transportation that proved remarkably accurate
well after his death in 1973
He also never went a week without feeding shrimp to seagulls
at the old pier close to his home.
Why would this remarkable man take time each week to treat
the seagulls to such a delight? Because Eeddie Rickenbacker was a grateful man.
It began in 1942 when Rickenbacker and the crew of his B-17 ran out of fuel and
crashed in the Pacific Ocean while trying to deliver a message to General
Douglas MacArthur. After eight days in a lifeboat the crews’ rations ran out.
They had no food and were quickly starving to death. Suffering from exposure,
dehydration and exhaustion, Rickenbacker fell asleep just after finishing an
afternoon devotional and prayer service. It was a Friday afternoon and Eddie
expected this to be his final rest.
From out of nowhere, a seagull miraculously landed on his
head. The other men immediately snatched the bird and ate its meat. The bird’s
intestines, to dangerous to eat, were used for fish bait. Soon, they were
devouring the fish they caught and were able to survive until rescue came a few
days later.
Their lives were saved by a seagull that was mysteriously
hundreds of miles from land.
So every Friday afternoon until the day he died,
Rickenbacker would slowly walk to the end of the ocean pier near his home. And
there he would stand and wait. Soon, the squawking of seagulls would surround
him. He would feed shrimp to the seagulls for a half-hour or so - until his
bucket was empty.
Yet each week, even after the shrimp was all gone, his
friends would linger with him, sensing something more than just food. They
perched on his hat. They flew along side him. They stood next to him.
That is when Eddie Rickenbacker would quietly say, “Thank
you.”
If you’re drifting in a lifeboat right now, wondering
whether or not you are going to survive, I have good news for you …You Will!
The Lord loves you and will stop at nothing to swoop down and save you no
matter what. It may be a call from a friend, it may be a new job, or it may be
some seagull – or Turkey – to eat! No matter how He does it, He will save you.
And no matter how He does it, now is the time to say, “Thank You!”
This Week’s Prayer
Father, Thank You for all you have done for me. Thank You
for giving me Your Son, Jesus. Thank You for always saving me again and again.
Let me never forget that I must be grateful every moment of my life, for I know that gratitude is the mother of all virtues. Amen.
