2008 年11月7日，Jim O’Neal先生，六十五歲，開小型飛機（Cessna 150E 型，二人座機），從蘇格蘭Glasgow到英國的一個城Colchester。雖然Jim是一位商人，但是他有十八年飛行員的經驗。當天，飛機上只有他一個人。
在四千五百公尺高空時，突然他發現飛機儀器模糊看不清了。他以為是太陽反射，使得他的儀器模糊。但是很快地他就明白了事情發生的原因，是他的一隻眼睛瞎了，第二隻眼睛也受到影響，使得他看不清楚。
事實上，因為中風的關係，一個小血塊壓到了他的視神經，使得他的一隻眼睛很快就瞎了，另外一隻眼睛的視力也因此受限。
Jim馬上用無線電把壞消息通知地面塔台。因為他眼睛瞎了，他看不見了，飛機很快就降到一千六百公尺高——非常危險。塔台試着用講話的方式，幫助他降落。試了六次，都失敗了，而折返天空。
之後，塔台把Jim導航到一個軍用機場，那裡的飛機跑道又寬又長。他們差派另外一架飛機起飛，飛在Jim的旁邊。第二架飛機的飛行員用無線電和Jim對話，告訴Jim每一個動作。“我做什麼，你也要做什麼”。他飛在Jim的旁邊，跟他一起降落；兩個人都平安的返回地面。
這真人真事的故事可以用來解釋基督徒與聖靈的關係。在《聖經》約翰福音第十四章16-17節，耶穌告訴他的門徒說，“我要求父，父就另外賜給你們一位保惠師，叫他永遠與你們同在，就是真理的聖靈”。保惠師的原文是 παρακλητον（parakeiton）； 意思是“請到旁邊來幫助”的意思。神差派聖靈到基督徒的旁邊來幫助基督徒，就像塔台差派第二位飛行員飛到Jim旁邊幫助他重返地面一樣。
基督徒時常碰到生命上的困難——生老病死的問題，經濟問題，學業、職業問題，人與人之間的問題等。我們禱告求神的幫助時，聖靈和耶穌就到我們旁邊來幫助我們。神很恩待我們，垂聽我們的禱告。聖靈，好像耶穌所說的parakeitos，來到身邊幫助我們，賜力量給我們，安慰我們。
Jim O’Neal平安地返回地面後，他不能不感謝塔台和第二位飛行員拯救了他的命。我想，很多基督徒，因為聖靈和耶穌的同在和幫助，也不能不舉目觀看神的恩典，低頭感謝神，開口宣揚神的大能和作為。
您是基督徒嗎？如果不是，請讓我勸您，閱讀《聖經》，聆聽耶穌基督地話，信靠順服耶穌（相信耶穌為你犧牲了他的生命又復活了）、悔改、受洗成為基督徒。之後，當生命問題使得你前面的路模糊不清，神就要差遣聖靈來到您的身邊幫助你、安慰你、賜力量給您。
Helper at Hand
By Edward Short
On November 7, 2008, sixty-five year old Jim O’Neal set out from Glasgow, Scotland, to Colchester, England, in a two-seat Cessna 150E. Although Jim was a businessman, he also had eighteen years experience as a pilot, and that day he was the only person in the plane.
At 4,500 meters, Jim instruments suddenly became fuzzy. Sunshine reflection, he thought. But he quickly realized that he had become blind in one eye and that his second eye had also been affected.
In actuality, Jim had suffered a stroke, and a blood clot was pressing against his optic nerve—causing blindness in one eye and interfering with sight in the other eye.
Jim radioed the tower at an airport and told them the bad news. Jim’s inability to see resulted in his altitude falling to a very unsafe 1,600 meters. The tower tried to talk him down to a safe landing, but after six unsuccessful attempts they gave up.
The tower instructed Jim to fly to a military airfield that had an extra-wide and extra-long runway. They also sent another small airplane aloft to fly along side of Jim’s plane. The pilot of the second plane talked to Jim over the radio and told him exactly what to do. “You do what I do,” he said. He flew next to Jim and they approached the runway together, and both men landed safely.
We can apply this true story to the relationship between a Christian and the Holy Spirit. In the Bible, in John chapter fourteen, verses 16-17, Jesus told his disciples, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth…” “Helper” in the original language is παρακλητον (parakeiton), which means “call beside me” to aid me. God sends the Holy Spirit alongside Christians to aid them, in the same way that the tower sent the second aircraft pilot alongside Jim to help him to land safely.
Christians often face the problems of life—health issues, aging and death, economic problems, scholastic and vocational difficulties, predicaments between people, etc. When we pray and ask for God’s assistance, Jesus and the Holy Spirit come alongside us and help us. God favors us and listens to our prayers. The Holy Spirit comes beside us to help, strengthen and comfort us—just like Jesus’ word parakeiton indicated.
After Jim O’Neal returned safely to terra firma he could not help but express thanks to the people in the tower and to the second pilot for saving his life. I believe that, in a similar way, Christians cannot help but thank Jesus and the Holy Spirit for their presence and help. Christians look upward and see God’s grace, bow their heads in thanksgiving, and open their mouths to tell others of God’s greatness and goodness.
Are you a Christian? If not, may I urge you to read the Bible, listen to Jesus, trust and obey him—believe that Jesus died and was resurrected for you; repent and be baptized—and become a Christian! Then, when the problems of life cause everything to go fuzzy, God will send his Holy Spirit alongside you—to help you, comfort you and give you strength.