A Word of Encouragement from Elizabeth Rice Handford
Walt and I were flying home from a conference in Michigan in our sturdy airplane, 1368 Juliet. We had almost reached the altitude we had been assigned when suddenly the door on my side of the plane popped open with a great rush of noise and gusts of wind. I was almost stunned
with fright. Could the plane continue to fly with the enormous drag of that open door? I grabbed
the handle but could not get the door closed.
Walt saw I could not get the door closed, but he stayed perfectly calm. “We’re all right,
Libby. We’re not in danger. We can’t fly all the way home with it open, so give me a heading
back to the airport.”
We landed shortly. I made sure the door was well-latched this time, and we started the
journey home again.
Our flight instructor had many times given us clear instructions about how to handle such
an emergency. “In an emergency, first aviate—fly the plane. Then navigate—decide where to
go. Then communicate with air traffic control.”
The Airbus manufacturer calls it “situational awareness,” and say it is their Golden Rule.
The U.S. Coast Guard says situational awareness is the ability to “identify, process, and
comprehend critical elements of information about what is happening, knowing what is going on
around you.”
It’s an important skill we need to master. If we intentionally listened to people, workedat understanding their position, brought our wisdom and kindness to bear, surely many conflicts
at home and work could be eased.
Fine. But what about the times when you when you aren’t sure how to “identify and
process” your situation?
I remember a time when I felt vulnerable and uneasy but not sure why. I’d gone to a
specialty shop on the edge of downtown. It was the middle of the morning. The building
seemed cavernous and dark, and there was not another customer in the the whole vast store.
There was only one clerk, a man. I am not a timorous woman, and as a pastor’s wife I have often
faced difficult situations, but this time I felt very uneasy. My first impulse was to shrug it off.
But it persisted. I thanked the clerk and walked out. I honestly don’t know if there was danger
or not, but I felt it and acted on it.
I do have one strong and safe and trustworthy “situational awareness.” That awareness is
that my Heavenly Father is always with me, sheltering me. My Holy, eternal God has promised
to be with me no matter my need or incompetence. That day in that isolated store, I knew I
didn’t have the wisdom to evaluate the situation. But God’s promise of protection is a comfort
beyond speaking. God’s Word says,
“Our Heavenly Father is the Eternal God. His are the everlasting arms. He is our refuge in any
distress (and your life is full of them, as is mine).” – Deuteronomy 22:37
God’s loving, faithful arms eternally hold us
safe. That’s situational awareness to be treasured.