Image credit: Lisa N
“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NLT)
The movie Apollo 13 is a family favorite so I’ve seen it more than a few times. There’s one scene that still captures and holds my attention every time. Portraying astronaut Jim Lovell, actor Tom Hanks explains how the darkness of his cockpit allowed him to find his way safely home.
Reporter: Is there a specific instance in an airplane emergency when you can recall fear?
Jim Lovell: Uh well, I’ll tell ya, I remember this one time – I’m in a Banshee at night in combat conditions, so there’s no running lights on the carrier. It was the Shrangri-La, and we were in the Sea of Japan and my radar had jammed, and my homing signal was gone… because somebody in Japan was actually using the same frequency. And so it was leading me away from where I was supposed to be. And I’m lookin’ down at a big, black ocean, so I flip on my map light, and then suddenly: zap. Everything shorts out right there in my cockpit. All my instruments are gone. My lights are gone. And I can’t even tell now what my altitude is. I know I’m running out of fuel, so I’m thinking about ditching in the ocean. And I look down there, and then in the darkness there’s this green trail. It’s like a long carpet that’s just laid out right beneath me. And it was the algae, right? It was that phosphorescent stuff that gets churned up in the wake of a big ship. And it was leading me home. You know? If my cockpit lights hadn’t shorted out, there’s no way I’d ever been able to see that. So you never know what events are to transpire to get you home.
Chances are I’ll never be facing a black ocean in a darken cockpit, but I’ve had a few Lovell-like moments of my own.
I’ve been caught rushing late to an appointment, dealing with a sick child in the car, and feeling the pull of a flat tire. Did I mention this was all on the same day at the same time? Okay, so my crisis wasn’t quite the crash-n-burn scenario of pilot Lovell, but to me it was real and every bit as challenging – I considered ditching in my own sea of despair! But when my life seems overwhelming, I can restore order pretty quickly. I need only look up to see the light of my heavenly Father leading me home.
In Beth Moore’s book, Looking Up When Life Is Looking Down, Moore explains God’s rescue plan this way: “Life can be hard and challenging, oftentimes prompting confusion, despair, and the feeling that God has abandoned you and there’s no way out.” She goes on to say, “You can opt for God. (But) here’s the deal: God wants everything you’ve got. Every egg in one basket. This very moment He has His fingers gripped on your chin saying, ‘Right here, Child. Look right here. I am your Deliverer. There is none like Me.’ ”
Ahhh – comforting, compassionate, and full of promise for anyone seeking a lighted path home.
Conversation Starters
- Have you ever hit rock-bottom and thought there was no good way out of a bad situation? If so, what did you do?
- In scripture, the bible tells us over 150 times to trust God in times of trouble. Discuss ways you can apply faith when difficulties come your way.
- Talk about events in your life that have brought you safely home – out of darkness and into His light.
