I Just Pack Parachutes

I got to attend an appreciation luncheon today for people who work in administrative support roles at the university.  When your job is more of a task-oriented, "behind the scenes" job, you really don't stand out for anything of significant importance.  I admit, I struggle with feelings of inferiority often.  Not only in my job, but sometimes I feel like my life roles are "just" supporting roles....I know I should delight in all of them as privileges, but sometimes I find myself  wanting some kind of evidence of appreciation.  Through some of those struggles, I have come to understand that our true value is only found in Christ and BECAUSE of Christ, I can still be a "superstar" in my roles if I consistently try to do everything for His glory, I am a part of a team and ultimately, a part of a BIGGER plan of my Heavenly Father's, if I contribute my part to make the team successful and accomplish the plan, I am a success, and lastly, I KNOW there is no job that is NOT valuable.

After the luncheon, I was thinking..."that was nice, but they have to do that once a year to check it off a list"....yeah, I wasn't really appreciative because I didn't accept the compliment as authentic.  Ever been there?  It wasn't a good attitude...but, it was the one in my mind.  Once I was back in my office I read an article that hit me hard...how can GOD encourage us and discipline us at the same time?  I wish I was this good at this stuff with my kids.  Here's what I read....it's an amazing story of the value of all our work:

..."After Plumb graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, he flew jets in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, he was shot down by a surface-to-air missile. He ejected and parachuted into the jungle. The Vietcong captured him and held him prisoner for six years in North Vietnam. Today, Plumb lectures on lessons learned from that experience.

He shares the story of a day when he and his wife were sitting in a restaurant and a man at another table approached them. 

"You're Charlie Plumb!" the man said. "You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"

"How in the world did you know that?" asked the former pilot.

"I packed your parachute!" he said. Plumb gasped in surprise. The man pumped his hand and continued, "I guess it worked!"

Plumb assured him that it did saying, "If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."

Charlie Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about the stranger. He wondered how many times he might have seen him on the ship and not spoken to him because, after all, he was a fighter pilot and the man who packed his chute was "just a sailor." He thought of the many hours this sailor had spent working at a long wooden table in the bowels of the carrier, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute - each time, holding in his hands the fate of someone he didn't know.

When Plumb lectures, he often asks his audience, "Who's packing your parachute? Who is watching out for you? Can you identify the people who have packed your parachute over the years and those who are packing it today?"

See what I'm talking about?  Isn't God CRAZY great?!  I LOVE HIM for everything, but especially for sending this story my way today!  Wouldn't it be amazing to meet the person who packed the parachute that saved your life?  To me it said, keep up the good work and accept the appreciation when it is given.