Eye Opener

I saw him in the church building for the first time on Wednesday. He was in his mid-70's, with thinning silver hair and a neat brown suit. Many times in the past I had invited him to come. Several other Christian friends had talked to him about the Lord and had tried to share the good news with him.

He was a well-respected, honest man with so many characteristics a Christian should have, but he had never put on Christ, nor entered the doors of the church.

"Have you ever been to a church service in your life?"  I had asked him a few years ago.  We had just finished a pleasant day of visiting and talking.

He hesitated. Then with a bitter smile he told me of his childhood experience some fifty years ago. He was one of many children in a large impoverished family.  His parents had struggled to provide food, with little left for housing and clothing.  When he was about ten, some neighbors invited him to worship with them.

The Sunday School class had been very exciting! He had never heard such songs and stories before!

He had never heard anyone read from the Bible! After class was over, the teacher took him aside and said, "Son, please don't come again dressed as you are now. We want to look our best when we come into God's house."

He stood in his ragged, unpatched overalls. Then looking at his dirty bare feet, he answered softly, "No, ma'am, I won't ever."

"And I never did," he said, abruptly ending our conversation.

There must have been other factors to have hardened him so, but this experience formed a significant part of the bitterness in his heart.

I'm sure that Sunday School teacher meant well. But did she really understand the love of Christ?  Had she studied and accepted the teachings found in the second chapter of James?

What if she had put her arms around the dirty, ragged little boy and said, "Son, I am so glad you are here, and I hope you will come every chance you get to hear more about Jesus."

I reflected on the awesome responsibility a teacher or pastor or a parent has to welcome little ones in His name. How far reaching her influence was!

I prayed that I might be ever open to the tenderness of a child's heart, and that I might never fail to see beyond the appearance and behavior of a child to the eternal possibilities within.

Yes, I saw him in the church house for the first time on Wednesday.  As I looked at that immaculately dressed old gentleman lying in his casket, I thought of the little boy of long ago.  I could almost hear him say, "No, ma'am, I won't ever."

And I wept.

-- Author Unknown

FAITH OF A CHILD

The father, a well digger, strong was he,

And as loving and kind as a father could be.

And Mary his daughter, Just five years old,
Was very much dearer than millions in gold.

To Mary her father was big, grand and nice,
So each had a treasure, beyond any price.

One day to the well, little Mary was sent
To take daddy's lunch, how gladly she went.

But when she looked down, not a thing could be seen.
The well, like a pocket, was dark as could be.

The father saw Mary and heard her voice, too,
But made not a sound, just to see what she'd do.

She dropped to her knees, the dear little soul,
And called down, "Oh, Daddy, are you down this hole?"

"Why, yes Mary darling, I'm here at your feet,
Just drop my lunch for I'm ready to eat.

Just let it go easy, I'll catch it all right."
She did and she saw it fall out of sight.

"Why Mary," said father, "There's enough here for two,
Now this is the thing I would like you to do.

You jump down here to me and we'll eat it together,
Down here in the cool and away from the weather."

"Oh, daddy, I'm afraid, I can't see you at all,
Be sure now you catch me and don't let me fall."

'Twas just for a moment she wavered in doubt,
Then closing her dear little eyes she jumped out.

In the darkness, yes, that was the test,
She trusted in faith At her father's request.

And both were so happy he kissed her and smiled
Because of the sweet trusting faith of  his child.

"Oh, sweet little Mary, you put me to shame,
How often my Father Has called me the same,

But because it was dark I turned back in doubt.
Refusing the call, though his arms were stretched out."
-- Author Unknown

Don't We All

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work. Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those "don't want to be bothered times."

 "I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought. He didn't.  He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus.

 After a few minutes he spoke. "That's a very pretty car," he said. He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him.  His scraggly blond beard keep more than his face warm.

 I said, "thanks," and continued wiping off my car.

 He sat there quietly as I worked.  The expected plea for money never came. As the silence between us widened something inside said, "ask him if he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true to the inner voice.

 "Do you need any help?"  I asked.

 He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women.  We expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments.  I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me.

 "Don't we all?" he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun.

Don't we all?

 I needed help.  Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help. Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that.

 You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all. They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have. A different perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see.

 Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe he was more than that. Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.

 Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then said, "go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help."

Don't we all?

CLEANING

      Dear Lord Jesus,

     As I go about my housework

     Let me see each job I do,

     As a service for my King

     And a way of loving You.

     Let me wash away my judgments

     Of others right or wrong,

     As I wash up the dishes

     Place within my heart a song.

     As I clean up little fingerprints

     And lots of muddy shoes,

     May I remember how you cleaned the feet

     Of the loved ones you did choose.

     As I mend up torn pajamas

     And sew a button on,

     Show me where I need to mend a breech

     That's gone on far too long.

     Let me tidy up my thoughts

     As I tidy up the toys,

     Let me sweep away my fears

     Like the dirt from little boys.

     May I be just as quick with my forgiveness

     As I am with mop and broom,

     Sweeping up the clutter

     In my heart and living room.

     May I rinse out pride and ego

     As I rinse the bathtub out,

     And while we are at it Lord

     Let's take care of anger, hate and doubt.

     Please remind me often Lord

     That the way I'm called to serve,

     Is an honor given me

     And not below what I deserve.

     You know Lord, as I look

     At all the work we need to do,

     I think we'd better house clean

     At least each day or two.

Brownie Crumbs

Mrs. Baughman was my 6th grade Sunday School teacher. One morning, she brought a pan of brownies to our class. As the goodies sat over by her chair, she gave each child a slip of paper marked with a household expense: house payment, utility bill, phone bill, entertainment, etc.

My slip had a car payment. Before long, Mrs. Baughman picked up the tray of brownies and began naming the expenses written on the papers. As we gave her our expenses, she redeemed each one for a brownie.

"Car payment" she announced.  I jumped up to get my brownie from the pan.  Finally the last brownie had disappeared.

But one boy named Donald still held his unredeemed slip. "God!" called Mrs. Baughman.  Donald came forward hoping the teacher had one more brownie hidden somewhere.

With a knife Mrs. Baughman scraped the crumbs from the bottom of the pan into Donald's napkin. He got a pretty raw deal, I thought -just crumbs. 

"The brownies represent your money", the teacher explained to us. "If you don't give God his share right away, He probably won't get anything except maybe the crumbs."

I never forgot that illustration. The day my friend Donald got only the brownie crumbs, even as a child I learned that God should have the first right to everything I have.

In the years since Mrs. Baughman class I have struggled with giving and priorities, But whenever I recall the "Crummy Sunday School Lesson", I know who should and must always come first in my life!

HIGH POINTS

Every person’s existence has its low points, but it also has its peaks. I originally used the term “prosperity” to describe high points, but that particular word has many different connotations. To some it simply means money and material possessions. To others it implies a successful, prestigious career. Many consider a prominent social status to be synonymous with prosperity. Money, career, and prestige have absolutely nothing to do with the peaks in a person’s life. Perhaps the phrases “good times,  clear sailing” and “absence of serious problems” better convey the real meaning – times when everything seems to be going well. Money may be plentiful or the bank account may barely stretch to make ends meet. The house or apartment may be either spacious and plush or small and unpretentious. The job may be prestigious or menial. The clothes may be bargains or designer fashions. However, life is generally smooth. There are no serious emotional or spiritual problems. All seems to be going well.

Such a situation may appear to be good, but it is not conducive to the development of the spiritual muscles needed to fly victoriously. We will never develop wings as long as we are content to rest in the nest. Sometimes we need the high points to balance the low ones. But a constant barrage of troubles is likely to create conflict between us. In His wisdom God is in effect saying, “You have gone through many hard times. Now is the time for life to seem good to you. It’s a time for you to catch your breath.”  

“Adversity will check the depth of stability, whereas prosperity is the rest of our integrity.” I don’t know the source of that quote, but isn't it true? While the high points in any person’s life are necessary for survival, they should be approached with caution. When things are going well, we are tempted to feel self-sufficient – no need to rely on God for strength. Success then becomes a severe test. Abraham Lincoln said, “If you really want to test a person’s character, give him power.” Certainly, the same can be said of prosperity.

REACTIONS

This is a wonderful excerpt from Jane McWhorter's book "Now I Can Fly: Living Victoriously" on how we react to our problems determine how we deal with them:

The key to any problem lies in attitude. William James, a noted psychologist, observed: "The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind." The writer of Proverbs proclaimed that truth centuries earlier when he penned: "As he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7).

We make our own emotions. A problem is neither good nor bad. Our reaction to that problem causes us either to become better or to totally destroy our usefulness. The same event  may crush one person and strengthen another.

Oddly enough, our physical systems work in direct proportion t our emotions. NASA has learned that nausea, sweating, and vomiting in space can be controlled in 75 percent of the cases by influencing the emotions through biofeedback and relaxation techniques. Since we make our own emotions - which, in turn, affect every aspect of daily living--we hold the key to living victoriously in the  midst of inevitable troubles. Search diligently for the key! With the help of God, we can all find our silver linings.

                             "Rocks in the road of life are not problems---they are simple challenges."

Answered Prayers

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.

 

The first thing they prayed for was food. - The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren.

 

After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.

 

Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. - The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.

 

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. - In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.

 

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?" "My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything."

 

"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."

 

"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"

 

"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."

 

For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us.

 

ALWAYS THERE!

  Hello God, I called tonight

  To talk a little while..

  I need a friend who'll listen

  To my anxiety and trial...

 

  You see, I can't quite make it

  Through a day just on my own...

  I need your love to guide me,

  So I'll never feel alone.

 

  I want to ask you please to keep,

  My family safe and sound.

  Come and fill their lives with confidence

  For whatever fate they're bound.

 

  Give me faith, dear God, to face

  Each hour throughout the day,

  And not to worry over things

  I can't change in any way.

 

  I thank you God, for being home

  And listening to my call,

  For giving me such good advice

  When I stumble and fall.

 

  Your number, God, is the only one

  That answers every time.

  I never get a busy signal,

  Never had to pay a dime.

 

God Is Always There!

  So thank you, God, for listening

  To my troubles and my sorrow.

  Good night, God, I love You, too,

  And I'll call again tomorrow!

 

Always Look on the Inside

I remember reading a story once about a man who was exploring some caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled up some clay and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man so he took the bag out of the cave with him.

 

As he strolled along the beach, to pass the time, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could throw.

 

He thought little about it until he dropped one of the balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone. Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left, then it struck him.

 

He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have had tens of thousands, but he just threw it all away.

 

You know sometimes, it's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it; we see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy.

 

But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person. There is a treasure hidden in every one of us. We are wonderfully made. Not just our physical bodies, our spiritual selves, which are sometimes hidden from others by the *earthen vessel*

 

But if you take the time to get to know that person, and if you ask the Spirit to show you that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

 

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship.

 

ALWAYS LOOK ON THE INSIDE

I remember reading a story once about a man who was exploring some caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled up some clay and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man so he took the bag out of the cave with him.

 

As he strolled along the beach, to pass the time, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could throw.

 

He thought little about it until he dropped one of the balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone. Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left, then it struck him.

 

He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have had tens of thousands, but he just threw it all away.

 

You know sometimes, it's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it; we see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy.

 

But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person. There is a treasure hidden in every one of us. We are wonderfully made. Not just our physical bodies, our spiritual selves, which are sometimes hidden from others by the *earthen vessel*

 

But if you take the time to get to know that person, and if you ask the Spirit to show you that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

 

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship.

 

A SIMPLE LESSON

AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER?

...THE HAND YOU PULL UP, MAY BE THE HAND THAT SAVES YOU!

 

A SIMPLE LESSON:

 

A rat looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What food might it contain? He was aghast to discover that it was a rat trap. Retreating to the farmyard the rat proclaimed the warning; "There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!"

 

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Rat, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

 

The rat turned to the pig and told him, "There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!"

 

"I am so very sorry Mr. Rat," sympathized the pig, "but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured that you are in my prayers."

 

The rat turned to the cow. She said, "Like wow, Mr. Rat. A rat trap. I am in grave danger. Duh?"

 

So the rat returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's rat trap alone.

 

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a rat trap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife.

 

The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever. Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

 

His wife's sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them the farmer butchered the pig.

 

The farmer's wife did not get well. She died, and so many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for all of them to eat.

 

So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when there is a rat trap in the house, the whole farmyard is at risk.

 

"Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4:9d)

 

27 Indications We Need A Revival

1.. When we do not love Him as we once did.

 

2.. When earthly interests and occupations are more important to us than eternal ones.

 

3.. When we would rather watch TV and read secular books and magazines than read the Bible and pray.

 

4.. When we have little or no desire for prayer.

 

5.. When we would rather make money than give money.

 

6.. When our Christianity is joyless and passionless.

 

7.. When we know truth in our heads that we are not practicing in our lives.

 

8.. When we make little effort to witness to the lost.

 

9.. When we have time for sports, recreation, and entertainment, but not for Bible study and prayer.

 

10.. When we do not tremble at the Word of God.

 

11.. When we seldom think thoughts of eternity.

 

12.. When we are more concerned about our jobs and careers than about the Kingdom of Christ and the salvation of the lost.

 

13.. When Christian husbands and wives are not praying together.

 

14.. When our children are growing up to adopt worldly values, secular philosophies and ungodly lifestyles.

 

15.. When we watch things on TV and movies that we would not show in church.

 

16.. When our prayers lack fervency.

 

17.. When our hearts are cold and our eyes are dry.

 

18.. When our singing is half-hearted and our worship lifeless.

 

19.. When we aren't seeing regular evidence of the supernatural power of God.

 

20.. When we are bored with worship.

 

21.. When we are more concerned about what others think about us than what God thinks about us.

 

22.. When we are making little or no difference in the secular world around us.

 

23.. When we are unmoved by the thought of our neighbors, business associates and acquaintances going to hell.

 

24.. When we have ceased to weep and mourn and grieve over our sin.

 

25.. When we aren't exercising faith and believing God for the impossible.

 

26.. When the fire has gone out in our hearts, our marriages and our church.

 

27.. When we are blind to the extent of our need and don't think we need revival.

 

The Letter

Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again.   There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address.

 

She read the letter:

 

Dear Ruth,

 

I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.

 

Love Always,

Jesus

 

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table.  "Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer."   With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets.

 

"Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner."  She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents.

 

"Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least." She threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.

 

"Hey lady, can you help us, lady?" Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.

 

"Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we'd really appreciate it."

 

Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and, frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.

 

"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him."

 

"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway." The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley.  As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.

 

"Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest." She handed the man her grocery bag.

 

"Thank you lady. Thank you very much!"

 

"Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering.

 

"You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one."   Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders.

 

Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest. "Thank you lady! Thank you very much!"

 

Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too.  The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him.  She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.

 

"That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day."  She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.

 

 

Dear Ruth,

 

It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.

 

Love Always,

Jesus

 

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.

 

The Parachute

Charles Plum, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, was a jet fighter pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected & parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured & spent six years in a Communist prison. He survived that ordeal & now lectures about lessons learned from that experience.

 

One day, when Plumb & his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up & said, "You're Plumb! 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 Plumb.

 

"I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise & gratitude. The man pumped his hand & said, "I guess it worked!"

 

Plumb assured him, "It sure did-if your 'chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."

 

Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, 'I kept wondering what he might have looked like in a Navy uniform-a Dixie cup hat, a bib in the back, and bell bottom trousers. I wondered how many times I might have passed him on the Kitty Hawk. I wondered how many times I might have seen him & not even said good morning, how are you or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot & he was just a sailor.

 

Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent on a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship carefully weaving the shrouds & folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn't know. Now, Plumb asks his audience, 'Who's packing your parachute?' Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory-he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, & his spiritual parachute."

 

He called on all these supports before reaching safety. His experience reminds us all to prepare ourselves to weather whatever storms lie ahead.

 

SUGGESTION: Recognize people who pack your parachute & strengthen yourself to prevail through tough times.