Skip to main content

New Article: The Light of the World


               In 1950, before Alan Shephard became the first American in space, he was a fighter pilot aboard the USS Oriskany.  One night while cruising around the western Pacific, the radar operator spotted two unidentified aircraft and Shepherd was dispatched to go check them out.  After strapping into his Banshee jet fighter, he launched, found the aircraft, and identified them as allies.  That was the easy part.

               Soon, bad weather rolled in, and Shephard found himself in heavy, driving rain.  Unable to see and flying by his instruments, he headed home.  Then his electrical equipment shut down.

               Facing a dire situation, Shephard reverted to his training.  When lost over open seas, pilots are taught to fly a square.  Go so many minutes in one direction, turn ninety degrees and fly that same amount of time in that direction.  Continue doing this until you complete the square.  If you have not located the aircraft carrier, begin flying larger squares until the target is found. 

               The rain made visibility so bad that he had to fly at a very low altitude, which meant that he was burning fuel at a tremendous rate.  Time was running out.  Just as he was preparing to face his fate and ditch his aircraft in the ocean, he saw a dim, red light just ahead of him.  He knew immediately that it had to be the light from the destroyer that sailed on the port side of the aircraft carrier.  With what little fuel he had left, he pointed the jet to where he thought the landing strip should be and put his plane down with only seconds to spare.

               Alan Shephard was saved because he saw a light in the darkness.

               It is not our job to save people.  Jesus has provided everything for a safe spiritual landing.  However, those around you could use a word of hope in times of trouble.  They need grace when judgment is all around.  They might be impressed by someone who does not just talk about Godly principles, but who tries to live them out.

It may not seem like much, but your actions can help people find their way home.

               “You are the light of the world… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16)   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: What is so Great About Grace?

If you were to drive by our house, you would see that Sara loves plants.  Our yard is full of flowers, and Sara lovingly tends every one of them. Which is why I was so afraid when she left town and put me in charge of keeping things alive. She must have been a little concerned, too, because she sent me two videos with specific instructions on how to water, when to water, and what to do.  Honestly, those first two videos helped, but the third one she sent was the one I liked most.  In that one, she said, “Please do your best. I want the yard to look good for the family reunion in two weeks.  However, if something dies, we will dig it out and pretend that it never existed!” That is what grace looks like!  Try your best, do what you can, but if it goes wrong, it will be ok. Sometimes we talk as though grace and effort are opposites.  That is not true.  They are partners. In one place, scripture asks, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone c...
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: Press The Button!

  Consider This:  Press the Button! My favourite TV game show is Jeopardy.  I used to like it even more when my kids were younger, because I could easily beat them and look smart.  These days, after they have grown up and gone to university, it is much more difficult.  However, Jeopardy is still the only game show I will watch. In a book I read, a contestant who did very well on the show shared the secret to his success.  He said (and I am paraphrasing here), “You must press the button before you know the answer.  Everyone on Jeopardy is smart. Everyone knows the answer. The key to winning is to act.  You must jump in and press the button, assuming that your brain will catch up and supply the answer.  If you wait until you are sure, you will be too late!” Press the button! Too often, we hesitate, not because we do not know what to do, but because we do not want to do it.  Sometimes, we fail to act because we are not sure how the situatio...
Post a Comment
Read more