Welcome to Summit Theological Seminary
"Teaching God's Word to God's World"
2766 Airport Road, Peru, Indiana 46970, (765) 472-4111
Who's Packing Your Parachute?
Kenneth Burtch
Charles
Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot during the Vietnam War. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a
surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected
and parachuted into enemy hands. He was
captured and spent six years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on
the lessons he learned from that experience.
One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a
restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, “You’re Plumb! You flew a jet fighter in Vietnam from the
aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were
shot down!”
“How in the world did you know that,” asked Plumb.
“I packed your parachute,” the man replied.
Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, “I guess
it worked!”
Plumb assured him, “It sure did. If your chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be
here today.”
Plumb said he couldn’t sleep that night thinking
about that man. Plumb says, “I kept
wondering what he had looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat; a bib in the
back; and bellbottom trousers. I
wondered how many times I might have seen him and not even said, “Good morning,
how are you?”
Now Plumb asks his audiences, “Who’s packing your
parachute?” Everyone has someone who
provides what he or she needs to make it through the day. Be they dead or alive someone has influenced
us all, good or bad. When we have been
in need of a parachute, be it physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, someone
has been packing it for us.
I Corinthians
15:33 makes
this statement, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good
manners.” However, our text says that
Christians need to be “packing spiritual parachutes” for their brethren: “1
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore
such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be
tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:1-2
The purpose for this letter is to thank those, who
down through the years were packing my parachute for good. It is not with joy that I have to admit that
I was also shot down and was captured by the enemy for over 4 years. No, it was not in the hands of a communist
prison camp, but one much worse.
Because of weakness on my part, I allowed myself to
be shot down by Satan and was taken captive by him. I was hurt, emotionally by many of my brethren, while serving in
the field of ministry. I was told that
I was no longer wanted, by some. No, I
did not struggle to the point of death, but thought I had!
But setting all blame and excuses aside, I left the
Church and gave in to Satan.
Did I become a corrupt person during that time? Certainly not!
Did I quit loving God and His Son, Jesus? Certainly not!
Did I quit loving many of the brethren? Again, No!
But I was burnt out! Going down
in flames!
But, thanks to those who “packed my parachute,” I
was not destroyed! Thanks to such
Christians.
You see, it was those men and women who had been
“packing my parachute” all those years in our group or Church that kept my
Christianity alive. Every time I
thought of completely giving up, I would think of all of you and I knew God was
still good, He was still on His throne and Jesus was still Lord! The sun was still shining. I just had to stop concentrating on the
clouds that hid that sunshine.
So guys, I know who was “packing my parachute.” And yes, it worked!! I have to apologize for my weakness and
maybe not always be the kind of “parachute packer” I need to be. But thanks to you, I’m back.
I will probably never have the opportunity to preach
again, but I will do the best I can, wherever I can.
Boy! Have I
ever learned the lesson about thinking I could never fall! But thanks to all of you, I didn’t FALL
AWAY!
Let me encourage each of you to keep “packing those
parachutes” with good stuff. You never
know who will need it. I have always
said that if we get to Heaven, we won’t get there by ourselves. I know that to be a fact now!
I just hope and pray that those who are “packing
your parachute” are doing as good a job for you, as you guys did for me. And I hope you will want to be the BEST
“parachute packer” you can be as a family member or friend. You will always be special to me.
Thanks