Bird hit aircraft during take off and the Eagle's wing safety net…Trust in the Lord – the only mantra why I am alive to type this…
What do I blame for today's (04 April 2011) eventful take off …the events that unfolded before the flight and look at it in a superstitious manner or should I thank God for the smart and wise pilot who brought the aircraft (Airbus 319 AI 507 TVM – MAA) to grounding halt by applying emergency breaks as he was speeding on the run way to take off.
Will you call this a miracle or not. I would.
It was just a small bird hit, which could have gone unnoticeable. However, he stopped for a quick check and then engineers declared the aircraft not fit for flight and grounded it. What a sound judgment on the pilot's part.
The thoughts that ran in my mind and the reflection are what making me intriguing and make my heart adore the Eagle who bore the aircraft to safety – The Almighty Himself.
The flight disaster that which was averted today would have been an eventful happening in the history of India and the following being some of the key reasons:
a. One of the most prominent and key leader of the Communist party of India was in the same flight. Indian politics would have been impacted. He is a key thought leader and he is a power centre (later i realised a senior BJP leader and AI chief was also in the same aircraft).
b. The best known self made, courageous and beautiful danseuse from South India who is a movie actor cum TV anchor was also in the same flight. India would have lost an incredible artist. (She sat in front of my seat when we resumed our journey in another aircraft and I realised she did not even know the bird hit story !!!???)
c. There were few more top notch businessmen and thought leaders … the gentleman next seat to me (don't know his background), opened his 'Kindle' and started reading the Government decision making criteria on new airports etc as soon as the flight was grounded. A thought leader whom I don't know about.
In all this, what I realise is that I could have become a history, news item in the live news bulletins and a matter of study.
To me the more impactful is this… my new born kid would not have seen his father throughout his life. My loving daughter would have missed her 'Dadda Appa'. They would have become fatherless (a thought which I cannot imagine) with my young wife who is a darling and blessing just trying to cope further on in life.
Should I sound superstitious and blame the happenings before the bird hit could happen. My memory plays these reels again and again:
a. The choice I made of the flight when my colleague recommended different set of flights and I was insisting on the very first flight out of TVM to MAA (or departing to heavenly abode !!!???).
b. My wife's plea saying that I stay back for few more days with her and the kids and I insisted on my commitment (adamant) to work.
c. Things that kept falling from my hands at day break (4 AM !!! )…the vessel, soap, blackberry device etc. I felt irritated and stupid when it happened. Was it a necessary delay being made so that I was not there to go through this flight?
d. Out of all the days I got up at 4 AM in Nagercoil and got ready for a flight at 9:40 AM in TVM and waited in the airport from 7 AM. Long wait for a disastrous take off !!!?
e. Feeble announcement of the passenger boarding by AI staff due to which the security staff could not open the terminal onboarding gate on time. This was followed by heated argument between the security staff and the AI ground manager. This led to a significant delay in boarding and take off. Probably we could have missed the bird hit by few seconds ( that would have ensured that this note was not written and you would not be reading!!!).
f. The practice that I broke today by not doing my daily Bible reading ( though I did pray scripture this morning…a probable saving grace was Ps 91); Or choosing not to hear the recorded teaching of my pastor during the taxi drive; Or turning on to watch Robot (Endhiran) in in-flight entertainment channel against listening to the recorded teaching of my pastor on Trusting the Lord.
I don't want to sound superstitious. But the sequence of events allows me a little but no much thought left apart from this. In other words, I did not read the signs of what is in store. Believe me, I did drop down the luggage sticker that usually get stuck in the boarding pass down as it was wrongly stuck (to my luck) on the eticket by the AI staff. Do I need more signs than these?
When my mind was just trying to understand the mystery behind the mysteries of today's event the only thought that prevailed was God had a greater purpose and He spared my life.
I am not sure whose life was important in the aircraft but I am sure He loved me and possibly I am one of the reasons He did. I could rest in Him and be relaxed.
The scripture that ran in my mind was that of the narrative where Abraham pleaded for Lot and his family.
And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou consume the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That is far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes: peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five. And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake. And Jehovah went his way, as soon as he had left off communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place. (Gen 18:23-33)
God spares the righteous (imputed by faith in Him and NOT by works). Did God just spare my life because of my faith or my family's prayer….However, I know for sure God did a miracle and I experienced it and I was spared to live.
Further reflection on the same I got reminded of the SMS that I sent my wife when she said that I look younger day by day (she has some eye sight issue …not sure !!! and that too out of all the days today) I quoted her the following scripture:
Psa 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle.
Isa 40:31 but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.
Doesn't it sound very mysterious that I should think of eagle. To add to this, my pastor’s message on trusting the Lord (I was hearing to this when I was seated in the flight before take off …coincidence or God incident) and my thought on Eagle just drove me to reflect on this verse:
Deu 32:11 As an eagle that stirreth up her nest, That fluttereth over her young, He spread abroad his wings, he took them, He bare them on his pinions
I am not sure why this happened. I do not want to reason it out. Why so many small little incidents and sequence of events today before the 'bird hit'. However, I know one-thing, I had a safety net that was created for me by His Eagles wing and I adore him in awe of his care and concern for this sinner.
As I write this, I am still in the TVM airport for the next AI flight to Chennai which is to take off after nearly 5 hour delay and I am not bothered about the end result.
However, I am more confident and glad that I went through this to know His love for me in all situations even when the most high tech gadget fails, He does not fail. I trust in The Lord and His security now more than ever. Psalm 91 comes to my mind as I end this note which says:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust. For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his pinions, and under his wings shalt thou take refuge: his truth is a shield and a buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day; For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the wicked. For thou, O LORD, art my refuge! thou hast made the Most High thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
(Psa 91:1-16)
Truly, I am in love with an awesome and loving God who tries to speak to me small little things even before something could happen. Wish I could have read Him and heard Him clearly in all these in what He is trying to say.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. (Psa 23:4)
But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. (Joh 10:2-4)
I am rested in Him. You be blessed and get hooked to Him.
- Christus
News article http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/article1598755.ece
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