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Safe
Landing
Jim
O’Neill, 65, a pilot with 18 years of experience,
was flying solo earlier this month in his four-seater
Cessna from Glasgow, Scotland, in route to Colchester,
England, when he suddenly realized that his flight
instruments had become blurred.
Initially, he thought that the bright sunlight
had obscured his view, but his vision didn’t
improve. Medical
tests later revealed that he had suffered a stroke,
caused by a blood clot that was pressing against his
optic nerve, causing him to go blind in one eye and
leaving limited vision in the other.
Flying at 15,000 feet, O’Neill’s situation
became an immediate emergency.
O’Neill
contacted flight traffic control and was put in
contact with the North Yorkshire Royal Air Force (RAF)
base. By
then, O’Neill’s Cessna has descended to 4,500
feet, veering off course, and in serious trouble.
RAF air traffic control operators made six
attempts to talk him down to a runway at a nearby
airport but failed each time.
Even though it was the middle of the day and
the skies were clear, the stricken pilot was unable to
see two runways as he repeatedly flew over them.
Flight controllers then directed him to RAF
Linton-on-Ouse, a former RAF bomber base.
Here there was a very large runway.
After two more failed efforts to guide
O’Neill by radio to the correct location, RAF air
traffic control called for back-up.
Royal
Air Force pilot, Wing Commander Paul Gerrard,
responded to the call.
In his Tucano T1 jet trainer, Gerrard flew
alongside the retired businessman and, aided by radar
controllers, managed to guide O’Neill safely to
ground.*
We
can ALL relate to Jim O’Neill, because each of us
has been ”blinded” as
a result of our sin (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4) and are
headed for sure DESTRUCTION (Matthew 7:13-14).
We
need GUIDANCE
in order
to obtain a safe landing!
Jeremiah the prophet described our
situation saying,
“O LORD, I
know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in
man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah
10:23). The book of Proverbs says it this way:
"There is a way that seems right to every man,
but in the end, it leads to DEATH!" (Proverbs
16:25).
But
because of His great love for us, God sent Jesus to
our rescue...
(John 3:16). Jesus
came to our side and provided instruction for a
“safe landing.” In order
to be saved from sin and have eternal life in heaven,
we must follow His instructions.
He has instructed us to believe
and trust Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized
(immersed) in His name for the forgiveness of sins
(Acts 2:38). If
we will continue to follow His instructions, He will
lead us safely to LIFE eternal (1 John 1:7).
Although
we have been blinded by sin, we do not have to
despair! A
divine Pilot has been sent to our rescue.
We need to trust Him!
He will lead us to a safe landing IF we follow
His instructions.
Won’t
YOU?
--
David
A. Sargent, Minister
Church
of Christ at Creekwood
1901
Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
*
Information gleaned from “Blinded Pilot Guided to Safe Landing by RAF
After Suffering Mid-Air Stroke” by Andrew Norfolk in The Times Online – www.timesonline.co.uk
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