Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Don't Stop Believing- Journey 1981



US Airways Flight 1549
January 15, 2009

It's been almost a month since Captain Sully Sullenberger jumped onto our computer and television screens and became one of the most recognized faces on the planet. Capt. Sully and the other four crew members aboard Flight 1549 are national heroes...and rightfully so.

I remember the buzz around the office that Thursday as news broke of a plane going down in New York. Naturally, I flashed back to that Tuesday morning in September 2001...dear God...I prayed to myself...please not again.

What did transpire was an absolute miracle. A miracle that eventuated over the course of a man's 19,000 hour flying career. A miracle that put Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III in the right place, at the right time, and saved 155 lives...and quite possibly the spirit of an entire nation.

Our country would have been very heavily burdened of news from a different outcome that day. I believe it would have been even more excruciating given the dark cloud hanging low over us all, but especially New Yorkers...at the world's financial center. The loss of any life, let alone 155 or more had the plane fallen into the city's streets, could have profoundly ruptured the heart of American will. A resolve that has brought us through so many hardships, battles and disasters to remain the light of worldly hope encouraging all people, all places that yes, you can persevere...if you just put your heart into it.

But that's not how the story ended. Instead, our spirit was reaffirmed that day by a simple, modest man with tremendous skill and unshakable professionalism. Five people put duty ahead of self in the freezing waters splitting New York City that Thursday and saved 150 other people from an almost certain tragic death...and quite possibly saved the soul of a nation too.

God bless the crew of Flight 1549, the passengers who didn't panic, the rescue teams almost immediately on the scene, and...

...God bless our country. Let us never forget You and the miracles You provide in our daily lives.

6 comments:

AtlantaMama said...

Captain Sully Sullenberger is a true HERO! I was captivated by this story when it hit the news waves. AMAZING!!

The Via Colony said...

That really is an incredible incident. God is SO good!

Z said...

He was on Larry King tonight..his chief something-or-other, when asked if this was a miracle by King, said "No, Larry, just the right people doing their job right" I was so disappointed.
Of course it was a miracle..too many things RIGHT in line.

A true hero is right.

Lula! said...

OK, Journey is the perfect soundtrack for this situation...yay, I love it.

Great post!

Anonymous said...

Amazing. And the odds against survival were huge.

"You Are In Control" song by Brian Doerksen

L said...

I heart this post! I received a really cool drawing today from a friend about the plane and was going to post it today.

I hope you're good with me linking back to this post.