ALWAYS DO WHAT IS RIGHT

By:  F. Kong                                                                

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."- 1 Cor. 10:31

This special story today found in the web site “Daily Encounter” was written by Commander Eric J. Berryman.

The USS Astoria (C-34) was the first U.S. cruiser to engage the Japanese during the Battle of Savo Island, a night action fought last 8-9 August 1942. Although she scored two hits on the Imperial flagship Chokai, the Astoria was badly damaged and sank shortly after noon, 9 August.

About 0200 hours a young midwesterner, Signalman 3rd Class Elgin Staples, was swept overboard by the blast when the Astoria's number one eight-inch gun turret exploded. Wounded in both legs by shrapnel and in semi-shock, he was kept afloat by a narrow life belt that he managed to activate with a simple trigger mechanism.

At around 0600 hours, Staples was rescued by a passing destroyer and returned to the Astoria, whose captain was attempting to save the cruiser by beaching her. The effort failed, and Staples, still wearing the same life belt, found himself back in the water. He was picked up again, this time by the USS President Jackson (AP-37), he was one of 500 survivors of the battle who were evacuated to Noumea.

On board the transport, Staples, for the first time, closely examined the life belt that had served him so well. It had been manufactured by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio, and bore a registration number.

Given home leave Staples told his story and asked his mother, who worked for Firestone, about the purpose of the number on the belt. She replied that the company insisted on personal responsibility for the war effort, and that the number was unique and assigned to only one inspector. Staples remembered everything about the lifebelt, and quoted the number. It was his mother's personal code and affixed to every item she was responsible for approving.

When we always do what is right, the person we help the most in many ways is our own self and that of our loved ones.

So many people miss this. They go to work everyday without any purpose or meaning in life.

So why do you think there are many people bored with their work? Maybe because they are not really working. They are simply pretending to work. This is why one company came up with an innovative policy that says: “You pretend to work and we will pretend to pay you.”

Do what is right all the time.

Never allow complacency to creep up on you.

Develop yourself into a life long learner and keep on growing. This is the only way you begin to open wide better opportunities for growth.

As I come into contact with many of the real and successful winners in life whether they be in the field of business, profession or academe, they all tell the same story. No matter how humble their beginnings may have been they all were faithful in what they were doing.

This is why faithfulness is a virtue that you and I should not forsake.

And we are developed more in this area when we remember that in everything we do, it is for God’s Glory.