Lessons from History: The Challenger Disaster

This post is a departure from my norm, but important to me just the same.  You may or may not know that I love history.  I have a social studies teaching degree, yet God has not seen fit to give me a traditional teaching job.  My children, however, get the occasional free history lesson from mom.  J  Recently, my sixth grade son decided to participate in his school’s fine arts competition.  His category is Patriotic Reading.  I helped him search for possibilities (which gave me a few mini-lesson opportunities) before settling on President Ronald Reagan’s speech to the nation on January 28, 1986—the day of the Challenger disaster.

Before he began working on the speech, I gathered the children around to talk to them about that day.  I wanted him to understand the context and importance of the speech he would be memorizing. 

First, I explained about space shuttles.  Having the privilege of growing up in North Alabama near the Space Flight Center, I grew up in the center of space news.  We heard about the space program all the time and many people that we knew worked in and around the space program in some capacity.  We sometimes saw huge space-related parts floating on barges down the Tennessee River.  I think every kid in N. Alabama goes to Marshall Space Flight Center on at least one field trip in their lives.  We think it is absolutely normal to drive down the road and see rockets standing on the side.  My point is that the space program was familiar and dear to us.  I loved watching space shuttle launches!  It was just amazing to imagine what it would be like to actually go into space and see the vastness of God’s universe.

I looked up video of how space shuttles launched like rockets and landed like airplanes….the kids were amazed.  Then, I showed them the Challenger launch.  I was amazed at how all the emotion I remember feeling came rushing back.  I was 11yrs old and in the 6^th grade….just like my son is now.  We didn’t see it live, but as soon as it happened, school pretty much stopped while we watched the coverage on TV.  We were in shock.  There’s no way to know how many times I’ve seen that video.  It looks SO perfect:  the sleek white shuttle in the clear blue sky.  You watch that knowing what’s going to happen next and it is heart-wrenching. 

My kids watched—speechless.  I sat there with tears streaming down my face.  You might be wandering why I would show them/tell them about something so traumatic.  I think it’s important to teach them about real life.  They handled it very well, and asked lots of great questions.  It’s so important to know these things.  It’s important to know that God is still loving and caring, even when bad things happen.

We talked about the astronauts and Christa McAuliffe.  As I read to them about McAuliffe, I realized that she was 37 years old – the same age I am now.  Wow.  That put a whole new perspective on it for me, too.

Then we watched President Reagan’s speech.  I get chills every time I hear it.  I remember that night, watching it in my grandparents’ living room.  We all sat glued to his words.  What a great president!  I wanted my kids to see and experience what it was like to hear him.   They sat there quietly listening—it’s not very long.  When it ended, I asked my son, “Does that help you know more about your speech?”  He nodded in awe. 

I want him to do his best.  He’s never done a speech before, so I don’t want him to be scared about it.  Whatever happens at Fine Arts is really not important.  The important stuff already happened.  I was able to share with my children how God and historical events are inevitably intertwined.  I was reminded just how grateful I am for my life:  Where I’m from, what I’ve experienced, that I’m able to pass on something meaningful to my children.  God has given me a tremendous classroom – my own home.

Tomorrow is the 26^th anniversary of that fateful day.  It’s one of those “I remember exactly where I was” moments in life.  What can you learn from it?

It is important to take opportunities to weave spiritual lessons into every day life.

What lessons have you learned from history?

A New Year - A New Look at My Way of Life

Resolutions.  I’m not really big on New Year’s Resolutions…..probably because I make a continuous habit of it all year long.  I am constantly “resolving” to do or change something.  It used to make me constantly overwhelmed with life because I had way too many resolutions to follow; therefore, I constantly felt like a failure.

Now that I have a new perspective on things, I find that I can keep my “resolving” in check—for the most part.  There is one thing in particular that I’ve been thinking on for several weeks---How does my life advance the gospel? 

For the past weeks/months I have become increasingly weary of hearing, seeing, reading all sorts of debate and arguments over peripheral issues.  Debate and discussion have their place, but what is most important?

It really struck me a few weeks ago when I was listening to a NFL analyst talk about Tim Tebow.  There has been so much sports debate about whether or not Tebow will make it in the NFL, but this guy was different.  He was completely amazed at Tebow’s testimony.  Of course, he didn’t use the word “testimony”, but he talked on and on about how Tebow reacts to adversity, how he treats those who say mean things about him, etc.  This analyst said that he considered himself to be a spiritual person, but whatever it is that Tebow has, he wants it.  Personally, I like to watch Tim Tebow play football, and I hope he succeeds.  If you ask Tim Tebow, I’m pretty sure that to him football is a tool that will give him a platform to advance the gospel.  Football happens to be the platform God has given Tim Tebow. 

What has God given me?  We easily fall into the trap of thinking, “If I were famous….,  If I had lots of money…., If I lived in a certain place…..then it would be easier for me to live for Christ.”  That’s not how it works.  We are to live for Christ and advance the gospel from wherever we are right now.

For those of you who have read earlier blog posts, you know that I love Philippians.  Recently I sat down and read through Philippians twice in one sitting.  I was struck by just how much Paul addresses the topic of advancing the gospel.  Paul was usually “on the run” or in prison, yet look at what he has to say about how we are to live to advance the gospel of Christ. 

Paul says in 1:12-14, I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.  And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.  He goes on to say in verse 16, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

In verses 18-21 he continues, I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Verse 27:  Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

Chapter 2:1-8 – These verses speak for themselves.  What an example of humility Christ is for us!  Following this example would transform our lives.

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.  Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

2:16 – Holding fast to the Word of Life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

The above verses from chapter 2 are a huge rebuke to me.  I struggle constantly with the tendency to defend myself and others close to me.  If I have been wronged, it is easy for me to feel like that I deserve to put them in their place.  I don’t.  It’s not up to me.  I don’t have to have the last word.  I need to show Christ.

3:12-17 – Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.  But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I, too, have not arrived and am far from perfect, but I do strive to press on daily.  Don’t get hung up on past failures.  Assess where you are now and press on!

I’ll close with my favorite verses from chapter 4…

Verses 4-9 – Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.  The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding; will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Verse 13 – I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Verse 19 – And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

We tend to quote verse 19 with physical needs in mind:  food, money, clothes, etc.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard it explained any other way, but of course we have more than just those physical needs.  Well, I do, anyway.  I need comfort, security, strength, patience, wisdom, grace…..God supplies those needs too…in abundance!

Am I living in such a way that my very way of life advances the gospel?  It’s possible.  Following Christ’s example of humility, having my mind/thoughts on track, trusting wholly in God for what I need both physically and spiritually…..those things will enable me to reflect Christ to others every day.

Happy New Year!