During World War II, John Fawkes piloted a B-17. On one mission he sustained flak from Nazi anti-aircraft guns. Even though his fuel tanks were hit the plane did not explode, and Fawkes was able to land the plane safely. On the morning following the raid Fawkes asked his crew chief for the German shell, to keep it as a souvenir of his good fortune. The chief explained that not just one, but eleven shells had been found in the fuel tank, none of which exploded. Technicians opened the shells and found them void of explosive charge. They were clean and harmless, and with one exception empty. The exception contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it a message had been scrawled in the Czech language: ‘This is all we can do for now’. – A courageous assembly line worker was disarming bombs and had scribbled that note. He couldn’t end the war, but he could save one plane. He couldn’t do everything but he could do something and he did it.
Max Lucado
From Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado (this version in The UCB Word For Today 19/4/2007)