WHO'S PACKING YOUR PARACHUTE?

"Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil.

Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

Romans 12:16-18

Charles Plumb flew 74 successful combat missions over North Vietnam. On his 75th mission, with only five days before he was to return home, Plumb was shot down, captured, tortured, and imprisoned in an 8 foot x 8 foot cell for the next six years.

Eventually, Charles Plumb made it home. One day, he was sitting in a restaurant in Kansas City. “A man about two tables away kept looking at me,” he explains. “I didn't recognize him. But, a few minutes into our meal he stood up and walked over to my table, looked down at me, pointed his finger in my face and said, ‘You're Captain Plumb.’ I looked up and I said, ‘Yes sir, I'm Captain Plumb.’"

The man then said, "You flew jet fighters in Vietnam. You were on the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down. You parachuted into enemy hands and spent six years as a prisoner of war." Charles Plumb was stunned. He asked the stranger how he knew so much about him.

The man simply replied, "Because, I packed your parachute."

Mr. Plumb says, “I was speechless. I staggered to my feet and held out a very grateful hand of thanks.” He then told his new friend, “I must tell you I've said a lot of prayers of thanks for your nimble fingers, but I never thought I'd have the opportunity to express my gratitude in person."

Charles Plumb was overjoyed, but he didn’t get much sleep that night. “I kept thinking about that man. I kept wondering what he might have looked like in a Navy uniform - a Dixie cup hat, a bib in the back and bell bottom trousers. I wondered how many times I might have passed him on board the Kitty Hawk. I wondered how many times I might have seen him and not even said ‘good morning’, ‘how are you?’ or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor. How many hours did he spend on that long wooden table in the bowels of that ship weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of those chutes? I could have cared less...until one day my parachute came along and he packed it for me.”

Right now, this very moment, ask yourself this one simple question, “Who’s packing my parachute?”

This one question gives you an incredible opportunity to see the unseen, to know the unknown and to appreciate the overlooked. But, you must be honest with yourself. Who are the special – and maybe not so special - people in your life who provide you with strength, support, encouragement – or just a smile, the brakes fixed on your car, your bags packed at the grocery store – who make your days better and brighter?

The Lord sends a lot of people to pack our parachutes everyday. We may not know exactly who they are, but it could be anyone. That’s why we must appreciate and show God’s love to everyone we meet.

This Week’s Prayer

Dear Lord, You have saved me every way a person can be saved. You have saved my life, my soul and my place in heaven. I know you send people to save me every day. Thank you for them. I ask that you bless their lives and their work. Please allow me to show them the appreciation and gratitude they deserve. And show me the many opportunities I will have to pack the parachutes of those around me. Amen.

THANK YOU

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.

Begin At The Beginning

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.  Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

Ecclesiasties 7:8-9

How do your control your actions, your anger, your patience – especially with those you love?

Recently, I heard about a wonderful couple. This extraordinary man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. Through the years they shared everything. They had talked about everything. They kept no secrets from each other . . . except one. It seems the little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had warned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all of those years he never thought about the box. But, then one day the old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to settle their affairs, her old husband slowly took down the shoe box and brought it to his wife's bedside.

She agreed that it was time he should know what was in the box.  When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $95,000. He was astonished. “When we were to be married,” she explained, “my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a little doll.”

The old man was so moved. Tears ran down his face. There were only two precious dolls in the box! She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness. 

“Darling,” he said, “that explains the dolls, but what about all this money? Where did it come from?”

“Oh, that,” she said, “that's the money I made from selling all the other dolls.”

How do we control our actions, our anger, our patience – especially with those we love? How do we create a life worthy of the Lord, worthy of our family? It begins at the beginning.

It begins with you and what resides deep within you. Just remember this simple wisdom:

• Watch your thoughts; they become words.
• Watch your words; they become actions.
• Watch your actions; they become habits.
• Watch your habits; they become character.
• Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Yes, there is a direct relationship between you thoughts and your destiny. The old woman knew this every time she made one of her dolls. She controlled her anger and her pride and allowed patience to win the day.

But, don’t go it alone. No! Because if the Lord Jesus does not reside within you, then you will not carry the strength necessary to expel all the negativity, self-centeredness, and fear that worms its way into your daily life.

Invite the Lord into your heart and mind and then your thoughts and emotions will forever gravitate toward everything that is good. Your destiny will be shaped by a loving God who wants you to have a glorious life with Him.

This Week’s Prayer

Dear Lord, Remind me to take a deep breath whenever the stress becomes too much, whenever my anger tries to take control, and whenever I am running out of energy to make it through the day. Let me breath You in; Your Holy Spirit, You love, Your promise of a better tomorrow. Help me to control my thoughts and emotions. Remind me that I am in control of them and they do not control me. Come into my heart today and everyday as I make my way to Your Kingdom. Amen.

PLAYING WITH FIRE

Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?

Proverbs 6:27

For over 500 years, Mount Pinatubo sat silently on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Once a tremendous volcano, now residents of the tiny villages surrounding the great tower looked upon the mountain as just a dormant pile of ash and rock. It just wasn’t something they worried about.

That is until the afternoon of June 15, 1991 when Mount Pinatubo erupted in the second largest volcanic explosion of the 20^th century – twice the power of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption.

The tremendous release of power blasted an entire cubic mile off the mountaintop. The earth shook for eight hours – that’s an eight hour earthquake! The newly awakened volcano produced an ash cloud rising 50,000 feet above the earth. If all that were not enough, Typhoon Yunga struck the island on the same day with fierce winds and torrential rains, mixing with the ash creating what the locals now call “Black Saturday.”

Consequences of the eruption were catastrophic. For instance, the United States was forced to abandon and eventually close Clark Air Force base, located just a few miles from Mount Pinatubo, because of the impenetrable blanket of fallen ash.

When an expert was asked about the widespread damage and destruction, he said something very important, “When a volcano is silent for many years, people forget it’s a volcano and begin to treat it like a mountain.”

Definitely words to live by!

We have to be aware of how sin has the potential to erupt in our lives, no matter how long it has been dormant. It’s a deadly mistake to ignore this possibility simply because we have lived without committing long-ago sins – even for decades.

We must remain steadfast until our dying day. That means we can never forget the danger that lives within us and around us at every moment. Like a volcano, sin has the potential to burn – and burn severely – at any moment. That is why the scripture above is so important. It reminds us that there is no way to play with fire without going up in flames!

That’s what sin does. And no matter how long it’s been since it erupted in your life, don’t ever forget that sin is never dormant. Fortunately, Jesus has you covered. He is always there to protect you in any storm, earthquake, explosion, or any other disaster that makes its way into your life. Our Lord is the only place to go when sin comes creeping in or just blows up in your face. That’s why the great Theologian D.L. Moody wrote, “When you’re thinking sin, think scripture!”

Remember, the enemy is never dormant . . . and neither is sin. The best thing to do is study God’s Word. Let it sink deep within your soul, your mind and your heart. And there the Lord Jesus will reside . . . and you will experience a new kind of fire, the fire of the Holy Spirit.

NEVER TOO YOUNG

Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants,

and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace.

                                                Psalm 144:12

Young people need to know that God has placed enormous value in them and has incredibly powerful love for them.

No doubt, it matters how we raise our children and what we impart upon their lives, their minds, their hearts and their souls because young people matter to God. He depends on them to carry His Kingdom. And sometimes, no matter how much they can get on your nerves….they will surprise you.

Calvin Leon Graham is an excellent example. Mr. Graham was a gunner on the U.S.S. South Dakota while it was buffeted by the Japanese in the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. He was struck in the jaw and mouth by shrapnel while his battleship suffered 47 enemy hits. Though seriously wounded, he helped pull his friends to safety. Among other honors, he was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

At the time, he was 12 years old; the youngest person ever to enlist in the United States Navy, and the youngest U.S. serviceman during World War II.

Our children can do great things, miraculous things! We only need to provide them with a path to our Lord Jesus, allowing them to experience the awesome wonder of the Holy Spirit in their young lives.

This Week’s Prayer

Lord Jesus, give me patience as I raise with my children. Protect them as they make their way in the world. Touch them with your Holy Spirit. Open their eyes to You and Your love for them. Please do not allow them to waste their youth, but help them build a solid foundation of faith. I pray You will guide me in guiding my children, and all our youth, to Your Kingdom. Amen.

WANTED: EVERY DAY HEROES

He saved them from the hand of the foe;

from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.

Psalm 106:10

Irena Sendler

In 1939 the Nazis invaded Poland and began their war against the Jewish people there. They began by establishing ghettos into which all Jews were forced to relocate. Food was scarce. The housing was filthy and crowded. The guards were brutal....and the days to come would only get worse.

Yet, there were heroes.

One woman, a woman whose name you may have never known, took action. Irena Sendler, a Catholic woman in her thirties, decided to join an underground movement against the Germans. In the beginning she helped Jews by providing food, shelter and over 3,000 false documents which allowed some to flee the coming Holocaust. The punishment for these “crimes” was death, but Irena continued her heroic work. Later, God would call upon her in even greater ways.

Because she worked for the Social Welfare Department, Irena was given a special permit to enter the Warsaw Ghetto to check for signs of disease among the Jews trapped there. But that’s not all Irena was doing.

Irena realized she had a unique opportunity to help the Jewish children held captive by the extraordinary evil of the Nazis. With total access to the ghetto, she organized the smuggling of children out of the Ghetto, carrying them in boxes, suitcases and hand trolleys.  She even smuggled out babies and small children in by disguising them as packages.

The children were placed with non-Jewish Polish families, in convents, or in church rectories where they could be further hidden. In order to keep track of their original and new identities, Irena She hid lists of the children’s names in jars. She assured the children that when the war was over they would be returned to their families.

In 1943, Irena was arrested by the Gestapo, severely tortured, and sentenced to death.

In total, Irena Sendler saved at least 2500 children from of the ghettos and away from certain death. Her story is a reminder that there are always opportunities for you to become a hero for those in need. It only takes the mind of Christ, thinking as Christ would think in any given situation, to provide you with the wisdom and courage to do what He needs done.

No, you may not be called upon to smuggle children out of danger. But, you may be asked to help a friend at work, to assist a single mother, to change a tire, to serve a meal, or if it is God’s will, give your life to save others as Jesus did.

Fortunately, this was not Irena’s calling. You see, on the way to her execution in 1943, the German guards, having been bribed by Irena’s colleagues in the underground, left her for dead in the woods. She was rescued and lived out the rest of her life in Poland. After the war, she dug up the jars with the children's identities. For years, she tried to return the children to their families. However, almost all the parents died in the Holocaust.

Having been honored by several international organizations, she passed away in 2008.

The message of Irena Sendler’s life is that all of us have a job to do. Because the Lord needs each of us to help one another in times of danger, pain, suffering and grief. Right now, He needs you to rescue his children from whatever ghettos they face – large or small. Yes, He needs YOU to be his Hero today.

This Week's Prayer

Dear Lord, I am willing to go where You need me to go and do what You need me to do. I only need you to make me able. Give me the power of Your Holy Spirit and the courage to move ahead in helping others. You are my Hero for saving my soul and giving me eternal life. Now, I want to be Your hero by following Your will every day and in every way. Amen.

WHAT YOU'LL FIND ON THE JERICHO ROAD

…Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.”

Luke 10:30-33

The Jericho Road

If you have ever been to Israel and traveled along the Jericho Road then you know how lonely, desolate, mountainous and dangerous it is. Even today, 2000 years after Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan, it is not a place to be caught alone. Modern-day travelers are still beaten, robbed and left for dead.

And it was here, 20 centuries ago, that a man chose to do something out of the ordinary. That is how he became the symbol of compassion for all of humanity, the Good Samaritan.

We all like to think of ourselves as compassionate - and to a certain extent we all are. But of course, there is a limit to our compassion. It’s true. For each of us, there is a point beyond which our compassion will not go. So, the key question is: where is that stopping point for you?

The only way to find the answer is to walk along your Jericho Road, the journey that symbolizes your walk through life.

Keep in mind your daily journey is fraught with danger, loneliness, challenges … and opportunities. Like that old road through the dessert, your days are filled with people who have been left for dead in one way or another. That is why you need to be prepared, because you never know what you’re going to find.

No, you probably won’t find a man who has been beaten up, but you may have a friend who won’t explain her bruises, or a man whose child has run away, or an colleague who cannot face another day alone, or a single mother who is too exhausted to face her children . . . and on and on and on. Here is where the limits of your compassion will be tested.

But, there is good news.

Jesus has given you His compassion. That’s right. You have all the compassion you need for every situation that will be presented to you. In fact, Jesus is putting you in these situations specifically because He needs YOU there!

Indeed, it is always best to treat all people as though they are hurting, because more often than not, they are. Can you imagine if every person treated everyone they encounter with sensitivity, compassion and grace – the way Jesus did? That is, in fact, exactly what He commanded us to do. That is why He told the story of the Good Samaritan.

Remember, God needs you to do what He needs to do. You are His representative, His hands, His feet, and His servant here on earth. That is why He has given you His limitless compassion.

There are so many hurting people who need to know they are worthy of love. And just as God builds into each one of us the need for Him, I believe He also gives us the need to help one another – especially when times are tough. At this very moment, people in your home, your workplace, your community and your world are hurt, damaged and just plain tired.

It is up to you to pick them up off the dusty road where you find them and give them the care they need, no matter who they are or where they are from. Because Jesus needs you to do what He needs to do – save His children.

This Week’s Prayer

Lord Jesus, even now I know of so many people who are hurting. Like myself, they face pain, shame, fear and challenges no one should face alone. Bring us together, Father. Let us share the face of compassion with one another. Give us the strength and courage to lift each other up and encourage everyone we meet. The Jericho Road leads to every home and every heart on earth. Guide me as I travel its path today, and lead me to those who need to know Your loving grace. Amen.