“Seek first the Kingdom of God and all your earthly needs
will be met." ~ Matthew 6:33
The wizened old man had long since
forgotten what it felt like to have joints that moved freely, without pain. Yet once a week, Old Ed shuffled along the
beach to his favorite pier as if honoring a solemn duty. A bucket of shrimp was his only companion …
for the moment.
Soon the brazen squawks of countless seagulls welcome him
home. The night seems oddly bright,
casting the birds into dark shadows against a tangerine sky. They anxiously swarm Ed as he tosses shrimp to
the hungry fowl. Listen carefully and you
can hear him say “Thank You” with each toss.
Long after the bucket was empty, Ed remained on the pier; lost
in memories piled high with reusable wealth.
Most Boomers likely write Ed off as eccentric, but they’d do well to
know his story.
Nicknamed the Ace of Aces, Captain Eddie scored the most American
aerial ‘kills’ in WWI. He could have just
as easily been labeled the ‘luckiest man alive’ however, surviving over 125
brushes with death during his flying career.
On one of his flying missions over the Pacific, he and his
seven-member crew went down. Miraculously
they all survived and climbed into two life rafts where they floated for weeks
in treacherous seas. They fought the sun
and sharks. Most of all, they fought
hunger and thirst.
By the 21st day the men needed a miracle. That afternoon they held a simple devotional
service and prayed for a sign. Their
strength was fading.
Pulling his cap down to escape from the blistering sun, Ed
tried napping. Time stood still as waves punished
their tiny crafts. Until …
Ed felt a seagull land atop his cap. “How could that be?” he wondered. They were hundreds of miles from land and
seagulls never travel that far.
Only God knew.
Ed sat perfectly still, planning his next move. With a flash of his hand Captain Eddie caught
the gull. Its flesh was eaten. Its intestines were used for bait to catch
fish. Their hopes renewed by the grace
of God, the entire crew survived until their rescue 3 days later.
Captain Eddie Rickenbacker lived many years beyond that
ordeal, never forgetting the sacrifice of that life-saving seagull ... and he
never stopped saying 'Thank you.' That
explains his weekly trips to the pier with a bucket full of shrimp, a heart
full of appreciation, and a prayer of thanks to God for the sacrificial visitor
that saved their lives.
Friends, we too have received a sacrificial visitor in the
name of Jesus Christ – who gave his life for all who claim it. May our hearts be open to receive the peace,
light and spirit of God who brings us this unexpected gift.
Lord, “I’m not so arrogant as to believe
that You saved me because of who I am.
It’s clear to me that You had a purpose for keeping me alive. I was saved to serve!” ~ Captain Eddie Rickenbacker
