On behalf of the 63d RD,
The Pit Crew Code of Ethics
“What if you made a paradigm shift? What if not keeping your word to yourself was also a violation of your personal code of ethics? Imagine how powerful a shift in perspective this would be. There would be a greater likelihood that whenever you said you were going to do something you would do it…: (Dancing on the River, page 66 by Mark Susnow).
Hebrews 13:2 Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!
The scripture I have quoted from is a direct reference to Abraham when he gave hospitality to two strangers that came into his camp. He probably didn’t know that they were angels at first when he offered them a place to rest, food, and more than likely, water or wine to drink. It is a custom in some cultures, even today, to entertain strangers to the point of protecting them if needed, just in case your guests may be of Devine origins.
Years ago my brother-in-law shared with me a story that happened to him while along the I-5 freeway. He had a flat tire and had to pull over to the side of the road. Unknown to him at the time, a race car driver’s pit crew saw the flat tire incident and pulled over behind him. Before he had a chance to pull out his equipment to start the process of changing his tire, they all piled out of their vehicle, removed his flat tire, and replaced it with the spare all within a span of about 1 minute or less. Not too many can boast that they had a pit crew change their tire for them, unless you’re a race car driver, but my brother-in-law could. He said it was sight to behold. Once they were finished they quickly hopped back into their vehicle and drove off before he could even utter a word in response. I can imagine now that he just had one of those dumb founded looks on his face, and a story to tell when he got home. It started like this: You will never guess what happened to me today….
My guess is that the pit crew liked to keep up their skills while on the road and would stop and help out everyone they happened to see needing a flat tire changed. They never stay long enough to even say hi or to receive a thank you before they are off to the next race or perhaps home from a race. Maybe it was their code of ethics that they vowed to never pass by someone needing their tire changed. Or maybe they believed that this was their form of hospitality to strangers that needed their assistance, or just in case they were helping out angels testing their tire changing hospitality. I can only guess.
What if that pit crew made a paradigm shift and turned that code of conduct inward on their personal lives. They would never stop to debate, but would automatically do for themselves what they do for others in 1 minute or less. Whenever they saw that something within their life or situation needed changed for the better it would be done, quickly. And then they would continue down the road of life until they needed to stop, respond, fix or help themselves out again. They would do this as practice until it become second nature. What a sight to behold that would be for those around that person, and more so for the inward life of that person.
My prayer for today: God, just as that put crew took their skills above and beyond the call of duty, may we also care for ourselves and our own well-being in such a manner that we can only stand back with awe when we see the outcome within our own life. Teach us Lord to walk a life that values our own personal codes of ethics that we give outwardly, and live inwardly, and may we practice to be as faithful to ourselves as we are for others around us, amen.
CH (MAJ) Dawn Siebold
Here is the direct email and phone number for anyone requesting support From
the 63d RD Chaplain office,
usarmy.usarc.63-rsc.list.chaplain-all-users@mail.mil
650-526-9668