Blind Courage

Mel and I flew into Dallas from New York on Saturday for Blake's brother Kasey's wedding, and headed straight to the hotel by cab where the reception following would be. We hopped a ride to the church from the hotel car and then knew that we would have to grab a ride back with Jamie and Blake or someone that we had met along the way. Well, the family had to take pictures and we were reintroduced to the Walkers, dear friends of Blake's parents, (he from the A&M brotherhood she from Baylor and tickled about the Heisman choice) and we hitched a ride back with them. There were so darling and personable and we fit right in, and felt right at home with the grandbaby car seats in the back. I don't even know how we got to this subject but the following story remains stuck in my head, especially after we had just been flying all week.

D. Walker and his friend J. King, were on their way to meet K. Ratliff for a well planned fishing trip in Montana. They were on the Delta Airlines flight on August 31, 1988, the flight, operated by a Boeing 727, that crashed upon takeoff from Dallas-Fort Worth, killing 14 of the 108 passengers and crew on board, and injuring 76 others. There were two causes that were primarily blamed for the accident: The crew had not ensured that the wing's flaps and slats were properly positioned for take-off, and the plane's takeoff warning horn, designed to alert the crew if the engines are throttled to take-off power without the flaps and slats being correctly set, was not operating correctly. FAA regulations require a sterile cockpit before takeoff, which means there is to be no conversation unrelated to the aircraft and pending flight. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) tapes recorded extensive talk about the CVR itself and how on Continental Airlines Flight 1713 crew discussions were recorded about the dating habits of the flight attendants, which demonstrated why the crew mistakenly mispositioned the flaps.

The airplane broke in half leaving a large exit area at the top of the crack, towards the middle of the airplane for escape. Walker tells the story that he was in a position to get out fairly quickly while King was one of the later ones to get out. The lights on the floorboard were covered in smoke and even though there was a surreal awareness of the calamity at hand, people were in motion and doing on impulse what needed to be done. But there was one mom, who was traveling with her infant. who could not find her baby in the confusion and tainted smoke ridden atmosphere. J. King in a blind sighted search, found the baby under a seat, and climbed out, slid down the body of the plane with baby bundled by his side and the rescue was successful. I am sure there were stories upon stories that accompanied this tragedy but this one that Walker told of the mom and baby and rescue by his friend sent my heart reeling. Any of us who are moms and parents can relate to the true agony of a child lost and helpless in a overwhelming state of danger.

I sat by J. King for dinner, quite by accident, and told him that Walker had told of the story of his rescue, and he, with great humility admitted the feat. I said that I, as a mom, would never in a whole lifetime be able to forget the debt owed to him for rescuing her child. Then I asked if her ever heard from her. He said yes that a few years ago the child herself called to tell him that she was getting married. We didn't go into details, oh but I can imagine what the mom passed onto to her child about the incident. It was a story of courage, and compassion, and personal intent to rescue one who was lost and loved. This story of appreciation and gratefulness will live on in the hearts of the family generations to follow. And it all was because of the actions that God allowed one person to pursue according to God's grace.

Now here we are at Christmas. There is a story here as well, and this story too begins with a baby. But this baby grows up and is the rescuer Himself. He is the one who finds lost souls under the worlds' cushions in an atmosphere of calamity and rescues them from the very throws of the smoke ridden, blinding, manmade cultures that are choking them. This man, Jesus, was the courageous one who grew up and took the hits of torture so that we could be free of the penalties that come from our sins. Oh I know this sounds heavy, but seriously, after hearing this story and knowing how precious each of us are to Christ himself, how can we possibly go about our lives living in abandonment of daily appreciation and gratitude for the many blessings that He has laid before us, namely our lives, and our well being.

Colossians 1:12-14
and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

I know that that mom, even after these many years, still owes her debt of gratitude to this one man. He was the one who rescued the one who she loved so greatly. We too, after the many years ago that Christ died to rescue each of us, should be living with a true debt of gratitude to Him and his sacrifice for us who are his children. And passing along to our next generations that which we know to be true of his love and sacrifice and still timeless efforts to bring his lost ones to safety. He wanted to not only save us but he, in his sacrificial efforts bridged a gap for us to come directly to God and be in the presence of God. It was through Jesus Christ's loving compassion then, that he maintains his Spirit of timeless intervention and rescues us still today in situations that we are bewildered, feared and blinded by. If we accept his outreached hand of assistance, he helps us get on, hold on, and stay on his road to recovery in this world of tainted compromise.

Yes it is Christmas, a time to reflect. A time to be grateful to God who has graciously found us and plucked us from the cushions of despair and brought us to the light of his glory. And keep his story alive and present, as well as the way he interacts with us today through miracles and intervention of what often times seem to be impossible feats of victory.

Christmas is also a time to be grateful for the ones who God has put in our paths, whether it be in the wreckage, or breakage or fulness of our lives. For those who have gone before us and have rescued us have done so by their life examples, their teachings, and their compassion. They have left an inherent mark on God's love upon our lives, and we are indebted. They have exercised a God driven desire to carry on the rescue efforts set forth by their faith, perseverance, and courage and have extended their hands unto ours and are our angels whom God has sent to this earth.

This was the airplane story of one man doing one thing that would be remembered not only for a lifetime but for generations to follow. We too have been given God driven opportunities to make a difference in this world. They may not be so spectacular, or headliner news oh but with each act of kindness and sacrifice to one another we are helping to center the foundation of love on this earth which Christ is grounded on. The story of Christ is one man, who had rescued all of his children for eternal life, and continues day by day to pull them to safety from the wreckage of worldly idols. Blessed are we to know such a God and to be the benefactor of such an overwhelming rescue. And indebted are we forever, for his compassion, his courage, his continued efforts to guide us to be better, to be faithful, to be confident in his ways, and be strengthened in his might. God has invited each of us to be part of his everlasting story through our efforts, one at a time, here on earth.

Dear Lord, We owe you a debt of gratitude for all you have done for us, and it is a debt we will never be able to repay. May our gratitude be known through our thoughts and deeds and attitudes. And may we be constantly reminded of the many blessings that you bestow, your very presence that surrounds us and the peace that comes from trusting you in all situations. Amen
Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!