May 1st.

 So yesterday was May 1st. There are a few things I think of when this date rolls around. First thing is my cousin and his wife's wedding anniversary. Second thing is May baskets. My family used to give us May baskets every May 1st. They were cute little baskets filled with some kind of goodies for us. Not sure if it still happens or not, but it is a fond memory for me, for sure! The third thing that I think of is the saying "May day, May day, May day!" It is used by airplanes who are in distress.

Here is the origin of the saying that I came up with on Google.

Frederick Stanley Mockford, a senior radio officer in London, was put in charge of finding a good distress signal. He reasoned that because so much of the air traffic flew between Croydon and Le Bourget Airport in Paris, it might make sense to use a derivative of a French word.

He came up with "mayday," the French pronunciation of "m'aider" ("help me"), which itself is a distilled version of "venez m'aider," or "come help me." The U.S. formally adopted "mayday" as an official radiotelegraph distress signal in 1927.

Due to radio interference and loud ambient noise, pilots are told to repeat the word three times: "Mayday, mayday, mayday." The repetition also serves to help radio operators distinguish the transmission from others that simply refer to the mayday call.

I started thinking about this Mayday distress call. If the pilots call out on the radio with this statement, the people working the air traffic control tower know the plane is in trouble. They formulate a plan to help them get out of their predicament. 

What about us, who are not on an airplane and are in distress? Who do we call out to for help? That answer is easy. We call out to Jesus.

Psalm 121:1-2 New Living Translation

1 I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

God will help us in our times of trouble. We can call out to Him for help every time. There is no limit, to Him helping us. 

Like the song from Third Day says "Cry Out To Jesus!"

2 Chronicles 14:11 Living Bible

11 “O Lord,” he cried out to God, “no one else can help us! Here we are, powerless against this mighty army. Oh, help us, Lord our God! For we trust in you alone to rescue us, and in your name we attack this vast horde. Don’t let mere men defeat you!”

So I encourage you tonight. As you face troubles (don't worry, you will at some point) instead of uttering the Mayday call for help, call out to The One who can really rescue and help you in times of trouble. 

May you never look at May Day the same again.

God bless.

Rev. Kev.