there was a story told once of a paratrooper who survived an eventual airplane crash because he had jumped out of the flailing plane in the nick of time. His parachute bloomed and carried him to safety, just the way it was supposed to. Many years later in a bar, a stranger went up to him and asked if he was the airplane crash survivor. Surprised that the stranger knew his identity, the ex-paratrooper asked the stranger to identify himself.
the stranger gave a restrained smile, and said – i’m the man who packed that parachute for you.
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a week back we had all just returned from section field camp. Our equipment – field packs and all – were muddy and dirt-ridden. We were supposed to ensure that everything was clean in 48 hours. However, there wasn’t enough time to achieve it (as with most things in the army haha)
my buddy booked out, along with the rest of the company. I was confined for that week. I felt the urge to perform an act of service, so i helped my buddy to wash his field pack. (:
when he returned for the next week – it’s as if he never noticed. he never once exclaimed in surprise that his field pack was clean. he never once asked me if i had cleaned it. he never once said a word of thanks.
well, i’m not in it for the gratitude, but it illustrated a point – sometimes, we don’t realise the things that people do for us (:
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so often, we forget the people in our lives who pack our parachutes for us.
so often, we forget that God’s there providing for us behind the scenes.
everything seems so ordinary. everything seems routine.
we ask God: “Where are you?”
nothing spectacular happens
we assume that God isn’t there…
But He is. more than ever.
He’s there
packing our parachutes
covering our backs
protecting us from evil
walking beside us
going before us
it’s time to be more grateful.
