Who's Packing your parachutes?
How do we feel about the people around us? The ones we work with, serve with and worship with…are they really important to us or are they somebody we just tolerate? Do we think we’re smarter than them or our role is more important than theirs? I think this story will make you stop and think…it did me:
I recently read a great story about Captain Charles Plumb, a graduate from the Naval Academy, whose plane, after 74 successful combat missions over North Vietnam, was shot down. He parachuted to safety, but was captured, tortured and spent 2,103 days in a small box-like cell. After surviving the ordeal, Captain Plumb received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit and two Purple Hearts, and returned to America and spoke to many groups about his experience and how it compared to the challenges of everyday life. Shortly after coming home, Charlie and his wife were sitting in a restaurant. A man rose from a nearby table, walked over and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!" Surprised that he was recognized, Charlie responded, "How in the world did you know that?" The man replied, "I packed your parachute." Charlie looked up with surprise. The man pumped his hand, gave a thumbs-up, and said, "I guess it worked!"
Charlie stood to shake the man's hand, and assured him, "It most certainly did work. If it had not worked, I would not be here today."
Charlie could not sleep that night, thinking about the man. He wondered if he might have seen him and not even said, "Good morning, how are you?" He thought of the many hours the sailor had spent bending over a long wooden table in the bottom of the ship, carefully folding the silks and weaving the shrouds of each chute, each time holding in his hands the fate of someone he didn't know. Plumb then began to realize that along with the physical parachute, he needed mental, emotional and spiritual parachutes. He had called on all these supports during his long and painful ordeal.
How many times a day, a week, a month, do we pass up the opportunity to thank those people around us who are "packing our parachutes?" I know I’m guilty of doing it and know what it feels like to have it done to me. Just today I was thinking of people I needed to call to say “Thank you!” to for all they do to allow me to do my ministry at HRCC. And, then tonight in a conversation I felt like someone around me forgot we were on the same team. I don’t want to miss the opportunities to show appreciation and do want to miss the ones that say I’m more important than someone else. We all need parachutes…thanks to all of you who pack mine…I plan to take care to pack yours.
Pastor Ron
It's official!
It's official! Pastor Jon just did his very first triple back flip! Why, you ask? Because he is is reading this...my very first blog. Of course, he may have passed out first from the shock! But I'm sure after composing himself, this has to be one of his proudest moments...ranking right up there with Jess saying "yes" and the birth of JD. Seeing the posting of this blog is the long awaited result of gentle prompting by him and the obvious ridicule with well-deserved shame for me. So be proud Pastor Jon...be proud!
It's also official that I am now the full-time campus pastor of HRCC-Denton as of September. After 2 years of splitting time between serving as part-time campus pastor and full-time regional sales manager for a fitness equipment dealer, it was time to step out and answer the call to serve the Denton community full-time. It had been a struggle to know what God was doing and where He exactly wanted me. I had such a mission field where I was but it became very obvious that God has big plans for this community and His call was to do "whatever it takes" to be part of it.
So as many of you know, I left my position at Superior Fitness Systems after 7 years and joined the staff of HRCC full-time. Kelly, my wife and full-time HRCC-Denton worship leader/staff member, became part-time on staff and went back to dental assisting full-time. We made a commitment early in our marriage that we would make ourselves available for God to use any way He chose. Our current situation is just another example of what He can do when we are available and willing. He will take us and use us in ways we could never imagine.
I wish I could say the decision to submit to His will was easy, but it was a difficult process. Not because of God, but because of me getting in the way. I thought I could help God by deciding what His timing should be, instead of just listening and knowing. Don't we all do that sometimes...try to persuade God to follow us instead of following Him. But in Deuteronomy 11, Moses is telling the Israelites (and us) the rewards of loving, obeying and following God. In verses 22-23, he says if we love God, walk in all His ways and hold fast to Him, He will use us to do things bigger than we could ever do on our own. Obedience is the key...and don't we all want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. I certainly do and I want you to be part of it with me. As we follow God at all 3 campuses of HRCC, may we love God with all we have, live our lives the way He teaches us in His word and trust Him no matter what when the path seems unsure. If we will do this, He will give us victories bigger than anything we could imagine.
Pastor Ron
Jer. 29: 11-13
