Once, a thoughtless pilot got into an ill-equipped single-engine plane and took
off. He didn't know much about how to handle the instruments--he just flew. The
plane had no lights but he was flying up to a little country airstrip where he
would land, he thought, before sunset. Unfortunately, he had strong winds
against him and he didn't make it in time. The sun had already settled behind
the western mountains and a haze was over the landing strip. Nearing the
airstrip, he came down lower but he could not make out the boundaries of the
runway. Panic seized him as he sensed he didn't have much fuel left. The runway
was not equipped with lights, and he had no way of getting in touch with anyone.
He began to circle. He realized one of those circling moments would be his last.
He would crash to his death.
Down on the ground, a man was sitting on his porch and his sensitive ears were
bothered by the drone of the engine as he kept hearing the plane going around
and around and around. And he thought, "That guy's in trouble." Quickly he sped
over to the runway and began to drive up and down the runway with his lights on
bright, up and down, showing that young, inexperienced, pilot how to find his
way. The pilot turned. With a great breath of relief he began to land the plane.
At the end of the runway the driver turned around and flashed his lights on the
high beam and sat there, as if to say, "This is the end of the runway, and there
are the lights." That pilot came right in and landed safely. A near tragedy was
averted by sensitivity to need.
When people are in trouble, we need to sense their needs and be willing to help
them.
Author unknown. If anyone has a proprietary interest in this story please
authenticate and I will be happy to credit, or remove, as the circumstances
dictate.
Thanks to Keith Smith The Christian and Bible Resource Center
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