On May 25 1979 Dennis Waitley was trying to catch a flight from Chicago to LA. When he arrived at the gate they had just closed the jetway. Frustrated about missing his flight he made his way to the ticket counter to rebook on the next available flight.
While he was waiting in line, an announcement came over the airport intercom. AA Flight 191 to Los Angeles had crashed upon takeoff. The engine on the left wing of that McDonnell Douglas DC-10 separated from the airplane right after takeoff. The unbalanced aerodynamics caused the plane to roll, a roll from which it could not recover. All 258 passengers, as well as 13 crew members, died in the crash. It was the deadliest aviation accident in United States history. Dennis keeps his paper ticket for flight 191 in a prominent place in his office as a constant reminder to live every day to the fullest. Throughout a typical day a Firefighter will respond to many different calls for service. Those calls may include structural fires, technical rescues, medical emergencies and hazardous material spills. When not responding to a service call, there are drills as well as continuous training in order to improve and maintain vital firefighter skills. It is easy to become so preoccupied with life in the Fire service, the weight and responsibility, the unspoken fear of failure, the scenes that are graphically scribed into the memory that the price of enjoying the greatest job in the world is often more than one cares to admit. On difficult days when you are tempted to give up on yourself, your marriage or your career remember Dennis Waitley’s paper ticket from flight 191 and gain a fresh perspective and a joyful reminder that every day is a gift from God, and that there is bright hope for tomorrow no matter how dark it may seem today and that every failure or setback is in reality the building block for a new beginning. Dennis’ story reminds me to live every day like there’s no tomorrow and to slow down enough to take care of myself and the ones I love first. As your Chaplain, I am always available for a cup of coffee, a phone call or a breakfast meeting just to have a friend to connect with. You can reach me at firechap@hopeag.com Praying that you are seeing 2021 as a year of great opportunity and a new season where everything that you have worked hard to accomplish will become a reality. Be encouraged, keep standing strong, take time for yourself and your family, enjoy the journey!! Chap Comments are closed.
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AuthorJim has served as the Pastor at Hope Christian Church since 2005 . He is the Chaplain for the North Haven Ct Fire Department for the past 10 years. He is an Ordained minister as well as being an endorsed Chaplain with the Assemblies of God Archives
September 2022
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