Couch potatoes sit around with no purpose in their lives. We were not
designed to live this way. Truly, being a couch potato is quite similar
to being in prison. Instead, we need to take the initiative to ask
ourselves what we would want others to do for us, and then begin doing
just that for other people! Why not encourage the discouraged? Visit the
lonely? Bringing hope to the ones who are sick? Why not be a friend to
the homeless? There is so much we can do to make a difference!
"If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you'll be where I
am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The Father will honor and
reward anyone who serves me." (John 12:26 MSG) A couch potato would sit
and say: "It's a good idea, but it is not for me", and in so doing,
they would miss the opportunity to love like Jesus. Let's be proactive,
reflecting Jesus in every aspect of our lives.
It was February,
1905, and the crew of Cape Lookout Station was in the midst of an
influenza outbreak. Deep fogs and storms at sea do not care about how we
are feeling, however; and despite the outbreak, waves relentlessly
pounded the shoreline. Though deathly ill, the crew tried to do their
duties. Keeper Gaskill went to the tower to see if anyone was in
trouble. At first, he could see nothing in the thick fog; but a break
suddenly appeared, briefly revealing the mast of a ship. When, seconds
later, the fog again claimed any view of the ocean, it would have been
easy for Keeper Gaskill to convince himself it had been nothing but his
imagination; but this isn't what he did. Instead, he called the other
eight men from their sickbeds to join him in rescuing the ship and its
crew.
Just imagine nine, deathly ill men hauling their lifeboats
down to the shore, and then rowing for over four hours to reach the ship
in destress. Somehow, they made it, but the Sarah Rawson had already
lost much of her riggings. Her bowsprit, her foremast, her main topmast
and her deckhouses had all crashed into the sea. Six members of her crew
of seven were still alive, but the seventh had already been washed
overboard, never to be seen again.
The waters around the doomed
ship were littered with wreckage, and the rescue boats couldn't get
close enough to rescue the crew. The only thing they could do was to
anchor their boat and wait out the night. They had to face the cold, the
wind and the waves, and none of them were able to sleep, for they were
continually in danger of capsizing. Somehow, however, coughing, sneezing
and shivering with cold, the rescue team made it through to dawn. The
sea began to calm then, but when they still could not reach the wreck,
one of the rescue team donned a safety line and jumped into the cold,
tumultuous ocean. He persisted in swimming through the waves until he
finally reached the doomed ship, and then one by one, every one of the
Sarah Rawson's sailors were brought back to the rescue boat. They were
soaked and nearly frozen, but they were alive.
The rescue crew
was then able to bring the stranded sailors back to shore where they
gave them dry clothing and warm food and drink; then all nine of them
went back to their sick beds. After all, they were still in the midst of
an influenza outbreak!
What is your take? Will you be a couch
potato? Or will you make a difference in this world?
Oh, and once
the influenza had passed, the nine rescuers each received gold
lifesaving medals for their efforts.
Rob Chaffart
The Sick Rescuers. Majestic Mountain View, Part 4
Today's Bible Verse:
"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself
what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it
for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get."
(Matthew 7:12 MSG)
The Sick Rescuers. Majestic Mountain View, Part 4
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