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January 27, 2009
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=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================
Preparing for Heroism, by Rubel Shelly
A great many people seem to crave celebrity. If a child's answer to
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" was doctor, missionary, or
teacher half a century ago, lately it has been pro athlete, rock star,
or simply "famous." Because it is so hard to master even athletic or
musical giftedness, more and more are settling for famous -- and
compete to do bizarre things just to be on TV. Witness shows such as
Fear Factor, Survivor, Biggest Loser, and other "reality" series.
Last week we saw the emergence of a new hero in the public eye. Capt.
Chesley B. Sullenberger III, a veteran US Airways pilot, handled what
most aviation experts say is one of the most severe jeopardies a
commercial jet can face. The common assumption has been that ditching a
plane in water would inevitably result in catastrophe and yield
multiple fatalities.
Sully, as his friends call him, lifted off his Airbus A320 from
LaGuardia Airport in New York. As the jetliner left the ground, both
its engines were disabled after apparently hitting a flock of geese.
About to crash over a major metropolitan area, Capt. Sullenberger
guided a violently shaking plane away from skyscrapers and heavy
population, kept it from hitting the George Washington Bridge, and
glided to an amazing water landing on the Hudson River.
All 155 passengers and the plane's crew survived the ordeal. Without
the loss of a single life, what most had thought impossible happened.
And everyone from president to governor to TV news anchors hailed Sully
a hero.
Capt. Sullenberger did what he had trained to do for his entire career
as a pilot. He studied the manuals and spent time in simulators. In
fact, he helped write some of the manuals on safety procedures. He is a
licensed glider pilot. Hoping never to be in such a situation, he had
prepared for it diligently.
"True heroism is ... the urge to serve others whatever the cost."
Sully did his part and trusted everyone else to do theirs. The flight
crew, air traffic controllers, passengers, Coast Guard, NYC police,
private tugs working on the Hudson River -- all had roles to play to
pull off this feat.
There is no seminar to attend for becoming a hero. It isn't a status
achieved by setting out to be one. It is the role for which you prepare
every day of life by honoring your duties, being diligent with
preparation, learning to function as a team player, and behaving
unselfishly. "True heroism is not the urge to surpass all others at
whatever cost," said the late Arthur Ashe, "but the urge to serve
others at whatever cost."
That's the person you want flying your plane -- and the one you want to
be.
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Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that
everyone may see your progress (1 Timothy 4:15 TNIV).
---------
(c) 2009 Used by permission. From Rubel Shelly <rshelly@rc.edu>'s
"FAX of Life" printed each Tuesday. See Faith Matters for
previous issues of the "FAX of Life."
RELATED LINKS:
* Taking Note of a Heroes Death
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200707/20070724_hero.html
* More Than a Face in the Crowd
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/199912/19991223_crowd.html
* 10 Things Dads Can Do to Look Like a Hero to the Their Kids
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200110/20011002_10things.html
* RubelShelly.com
http://www.rubelshelly.com/
This article can be found on the web at:
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200901/20090127_heroism.html
=========================== FEATURED PRODUCT =========================
PRAYING GOD'S WORD, by Beth Moore
You will truly be liberated after reading Beth's book dealing with
powerful emotions from the burden of anger, bitterness, to
unforgiveness.
http://shopping.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/link?253
Find more great books, CDs and videos at the Heartlight store! With
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ministry. Thanks SO MUCH for your help!
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