"Who packs your parachute?"

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. A surface-to-air missile destroyed his plane. He ejected and parachuted into enemy hands, was captured and spent six years in a communist Vietnamese prison.

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 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 said. 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."

So who packs your parachute? Who gives of themselves, often in thankless ways, so that you can have a great day? The police officers, the teachers, the water treatment operators, the power plant repair persons, the highway crews, the telephone engineers, the cable guys, God, and the list goes on. Say “Thank you!” to those who pack your chute as you listen to life today.

"Are you misunderstood sometimes?"

Do you ever say something, know exactly what you mean, but someone else doesn’t understand?

That happened recently in a worship service I was in. The kind woman calls all of the children together for a special time with them. She talks about thanking God for all of the good things in life. The little ones list a lot of things to thank God for. Next, she asks the children if they like to be praised when they do something right. Of course, they all do. So she talks about how we are to praise God for all of the good stuff in life and asks, “Now how do we praise God?”

All the children sit silently for a moment. The woman prompts them a bit by pointing to her mouth and says, “What do we do with these?” And the cutest little girl pops up, all excited because she knows the answer, and says, “You brush them!” (Of course, the woman was pointing to her lips, not her teeth.)

The great thing about talking with God is God understands. Even when you can’t find the right words, or say one thing and mean another, God knows your heart. So talk to God. Then listen to life.

"Do you do it all, all the time?"

My wife and I sat eating in a restaurant. She said, “This young mother in the next booth has been on her phone since she and her daughter sat down. Now they’re getting up to leave and the mother is still on the phone, ignoring the little girl. Is that multi-tasking?”

I thought about her question for days afterwards, noticing my own patterns. Things like being on the phone with someone and answering email at the same time, making sure I turn down the laptop’s speakers, and type softly. Or, asking my wife to join me in the family room for a ball game so we can be together, then not even looking at her while she’s talking to me and also I’m reading a magazine.

You know, a relationship isn’t just another task. Relationships require time, patience, and undivided attention between you and your child or spouse or friend…or God. Be still for a few minutes each day and pray with God, not just while you’re driving or showering. If you want to listen to life and make a life of relationships, be still with God and others.

"Will you try something new today?"

Our younger daughter is in middle school this year and she and some of her friends are running with the girls’ high school JV track team. Frankly I was a little surprised she wanted to run. She’s quite athletic but never really had that competitive drive you need to succeed in sports. My wife and I are supportive and encouraging of her efforts.

We recently went to her very first track meet. Her first event was the mile. She was the first JV runner from any of the schools to finish. We were happy for her, but it was when she ran the 800 that we were really surprised. She led all runners for about half a lap, finished third overall, and first again among the JV runners. She was awesome! We had no idea she could run like that…until she tried.

What do you think you could do if you’d just try something new? You might discover a hidden talent no one knows you have. So whether it’s at work or home or play, try something new and see how you do while you listen to life today.

"Are you a planner?"

Are you a planner? You know, one of those people who has a Palm or Pocket PC and you carry around with you “the plan,” that day’s schedule and all of the days from now until the twelfth of never. And you know what’s going to happen. At least you think you do…

…sometimes life doesn’t go like you plan. Just ask the guy who walks into a Louisiana convenience store, slaps a $20 bill on the counter, and asks for change. The clerk opens the drawer, the guy pulls a gun and asks for all the cash in the register. The clerk gives it to him and the robber takes off, leaving the $20 bill on the counter.

Care to guess how much was in the register? Fifteen dollars.

Sometimes you plan, expecting certain results, but it just doesn’t work out. There’s some bit of information you didn’t have, or something changed.When you’re making plans, don’t ask God to bless them after you make them. Involve God on the front end of the process. When you do, your odds of success are a lot higher because you’re listening to life!