“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, unto which you are called. . . .” — Paul (1 Timothy 6:12)

I read how “On a commuter flight from Portland, Maine to Boston in 1987, the pilot heard an unusual noise near the rear of the plane. Henry Dempsey turned the controls over to the co-pilot and went back to check it out. As he reached the tail section, the plane hit an air pocket, and Dempsey was tossed against the rear door. He quickly discovered the source of the mysterious noise. The rear door had been improperly latched prior to take-off, and it flew open. Dempsey was instantly sucked out of the tiny jet.

The co-pilot saw the red light that indicated an open door. He radioed the nearest airport requesting permission for an emergency landing. He reported that the pilot had fallen out of the plane and wanted a helicopter to search the area. After the plane landed, the ground crew found Dempsey holding on to the outdoor ladder of the aircraft.

Somehow he had caught the ladder and held on for ten minutes as the plane flew 200 mph at an altitude of 4,000 feet, and then, when landing, he kept his head from hitting the runway, which was only 12 inches away. According to the news reports, it took airport personnel several minutes to pry Dempsey’s fingers free from the ladder.”

In today’s pressured world it is very easy to be “sucked into” all sorts of temptations–which, if given in to could easily destroy us. So we need to hold on for dear life to eternal values and the eternal life that God has given to all who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

By Dick Innes, Daily Encounter www.actsweb.org/detoday . Used by permission.