Beware those Half-Centimeter Rocks!

I’m very proud of my nephew, a Captain in the U.S. Air Force.  He is a doctor assigned as Team Chief in the Intermediate Care Ward at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. In recent communication he described an evening tour of the flight line on the base. He was invited to the runway by one of the F-16 pilots in one of the two F-16 squadrons left in Iraq. My nephew wrote:

“We meet him outside the hospital after dark at 8pm. We in the macho minivan and he in the heavy-duty pick-up truck.  We follow him toward the runway.  There is a secure perimeter around the runway, of course, with a gate guard.  We have to ditch the pick-up truck and he vouches for all of us with a wink to the young female guard and takes the wheel of the minivan.  Just inside the check-point he stops and goes around the vehicle inspecting each tire.  You're to make sure you're not bringing any pebbles or nails onto the flight line, he explains. A half-centimeter rock can deflate the tire of a speeding fighter jet.  With that it's back into the van and we drive slowly along one of the side runways to the end where the F-16's are kept.”

I read the rest of the interesting letter and then returned to the words: "A half-centimeter rock can deflate the tire of a speeding fighter jet."  That's less than 1/4 "!  One fourth inch of debris can sideline a powerful F-16 fighter jet!

In weight-loss and the establishment of healthy habits, it is equally important to “stop and go around the vehicle inspecting each tire.” Tiny habits and small lapses CAN deflate one’s motivation and progress! So don’t become careless. Stay vigilant and diligent. Keep your eye out for those “half-centimeter rocks” that can deflate the tire of a speeding fighter jet!

I think we can also see the seriousness of allowing sin - however "small" it may seem to us - to hinder our spiritual progress and deflate the joy of fellowship with our Heavenly Father. But that's another post....