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March 2008
The time change this month brought
back a memory for me from many years ago. I thought back
to my first job. I took a job while I was in High School
and although this in not an unusual happening, it was
not a typical job for a teenager. I was hired as an
afternoon radio announcer at the local AM radio
station. I would report for work immediately after
school and work until dark. My shift ended when the sun
went down because the station was only licensed to
broadcast during daylight hours. So, if sundown came
later, I worked longer and made a bigger paycheck. This
also meant I was the ‘sign-off person’ responsible for
securing the building and making sure all the equipment
was ready for the next morning. One afternoon the
station’s engineer, nicknamed ‘Doc,’ came to talk with
me. “I need to show you an important piece of equipment
since you’re the sign-off man now,” Doc said. So I put
on a long record and followed Doc out the front
door. “The radio tower has a light on the top,” Doc
explained, “that must be operational at all times. If
not, we could get fined.” I looked up and saw the big,
red beacon blinking on and off way up in the sky. We
made our way behind the station building, into the woods
through the briars and honeysuckles, until we were
finally at the base of the tower. Several metals boxes
and black cable wires were strewn everywhere and I felt
a bit of excitement over learning how to care for such
vital equipment. I was paying close attention. Doc
kneeled down and gently loosened a door on one of the
equipment boxes and contained inside was a metal lever,
two foot in length, rocking back and forth much like a
see-saw. When the rocker arm went down on the left, the
red light on the tower went on. When it rocked right,
the light went out. Sitting atop the see-saw light
switch was a common, ordinary river rock that looked to
be about 5 pounds and about the size of a
cantaloupe. Doc, still on both knees, looked up at me
and said “if the light ain’t on, the rock fell off. Just
come out here and put the rock back where it
belongs.” After that day I was given the title
“Operations Manager” because I was in charge of the
rock. The Bible mentions a Rock. Christ is the Rock of
our salvation (Psalm 18:2) and once we realize and
accept this truth, we are called to be light to the
world (Matthew 5:14). The problem is we get distracted
and discouraged by the world. We feel like we can’t make
a difference. We feel like no one wants to hear the
gospel. We think no one notices when we whine and
complain instead of praising and rejoicing. Our light is
not shining. We need to check on the Rock. We need to
make sure the Rock is at the very heart of all we say
and do and to borrow the words of Doc, “If the light
ain’t on, the rock fell off.” We need to put the Rock
back where it belongs. The end of each day would be a
good time to ask ourselves, “Is my light shining?” And,
if not, climb through the brambles and the briars of our
soul, find the Rock and put it back.
See you Sunday,
Pastor Kevin
Chaplain Kevin Cochran, 1410 Bethany Fire DepartmentEmergency Chaplain
www.emergencychaplain.org
Federation of Fire Chaplains
www.firechaplains.org
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation
www.icisf.org
North Carolina Chaplains Association
www.ncchaplains.com |