"Thank you Captain!"
Since our team is in the Republic of Marshall Islands this summer I thought I would share a gem from that locale as told to me by Captain Martin Cooper, the former RMI coordinator.
On one of his regular visits to the outer atoll of Jaluit, Captain Cooper happened to be taking a stroll on the large dock in Jabor that extends out into the lagoon. This is a fairly good size structure, big enough to accommodate the supply vessels and copra boats that regularly stop over at this main Island. Standing on this dock, nearly 10 feet above the crystal clear ocean, Captain Cooper had a great vantage point from which to watch a group of cheerful local children splash and play in the tropical warm water. All of a sudden out of the corner of his eye he noticed a dark sinister shape snaking its way toward the unsuspecting kids. His loud shouts of "Shark" quickly got their attention and the group made a mad scramble out of the water and up onto the safety of the dock where they surrounded their rescuer. One by one they expressed gratitude to their new hero with a hearty "Thank you, Captain" spoken in broken English. But what happened next shocked and horrified Captain Cooper. The children, with bright white smiles on their beautiful brown faces, preceded to leap from the dock in an attempt to land on the unsuspecting shark circling just below. Needless to say, this"ferocious predator" made a hasty retreat and laughter once again filled the air as playtime resumed.
I love this story for a number of reasons, besides just being extremely cool. First of all it reminds me of the warning from 1 Peter 8:5 regarding Satan who "Prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." It also gives new meaning to Jesus command for the need to "become like little children" in order to enter into heaven. And finally, I really like the whole idea of soldiers giving gratitude to officers and eagerly jumping into the fight.
If only more of us were like those little Marshallese children, so that whenever we were alerted to the enemy, would give a hearty "Thank you Captain" and then canon ball the devil with joy on our faces. Think about it, if standing firm makes Satan flee, what would an all out aerial assault do?
On one of his regular visits to the outer atoll of Jaluit, Captain Cooper happened to be taking a stroll on the large dock in Jabor that extends out into the lagoon. This is a fairly good size structure, big enough to accommodate the supply vessels and copra boats that regularly stop over at this main Island. Standing on this dock, nearly 10 feet above the crystal clear ocean, Captain Cooper had a great vantage point from which to watch a group of cheerful local children splash and play in the tropical warm water. All of a sudden out of the corner of his eye he noticed a dark sinister shape snaking its way toward the unsuspecting kids. His loud shouts of "Shark" quickly got their attention and the group made a mad scramble out of the water and up onto the safety of the dock where they surrounded their rescuer. One by one they expressed gratitude to their new hero with a hearty "Thank you, Captain" spoken in broken English. But what happened next shocked and horrified Captain Cooper. The children, with bright white smiles on their beautiful brown faces, preceded to leap from the dock in an attempt to land on the unsuspecting shark circling just below. Needless to say, this"ferocious predator" made a hasty retreat and laughter once again filled the air as playtime resumed.
I love this story for a number of reasons, besides just being extremely cool. First of all it reminds me of the warning from 1 Peter 8:5 regarding Satan who "Prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." It also gives new meaning to Jesus command for the need to "become like little children" in order to enter into heaven. And finally, I really like the whole idea of soldiers giving gratitude to officers and eagerly jumping into the fight.
If only more of us were like those little Marshallese children, so that whenever we were alerted to the enemy, would give a hearty "Thank you Captain" and then canon ball the devil with joy on our faces. Think about it, if standing firm makes Satan flee, what would an all out aerial assault do?
posted by Revolution Hawaii @ 12:21 PM
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