Plane crash

Yesterday there was a plane crash in New York, while on it's way to Charlotte, NC. Luckily, no one was hurt. I've been on that flight before when New York was my International port.

I am often asked if I am afraid of flying, but really I think the question behind the question is if I'm afraid of crashing. It's a possibility. I'm not naive, but I'm also not going to let the risk stop me from doing what I feel called to do. Last year a plane I had been on just days before crashed and burned. On that same trip with another airline we had a near miss in the air with another plane, people on the flight were screaming and praying in all languages to many gods. A few months later I was on a plane in Africa when a tire blew out in landing, it was a little hairy for a few minutes, but the pilot landed us in the grass. The ambulances came out and got us and took us to the terminal. No one was hurt. Plane crashes are one of the risks of my job...as well as exposure to all kinds of disease, potential violence in countries in unrest, etc. I made a decision long ago that I was not going to let fear rule me. Fear will not decide my actions; faith will. Do faithful people die in the line of duty? Yes, they do.

My favorite quote of all time is from President Roosevelt. It is called the man in the arena. The basic concept is that we shouldn't sit on the sidelines because of fear, but instead should dare greatly despite the risk. The other option, to deny my calling, stay home and try to play it safe would feel like death to me. I don't take unnecessary risks (like going out at night by myself in a foreign country, etc), but my work does involve risk. My choice is to make the most of my time here on earth and not worry about what I cannot control.

I also understand there may be a point where I need to reassess this risk (like when I'm a mother), but for now I am going to keep getting on hundreds of airplanes a year and fly to the remotest parts of the world. If you are worried, you can pray for my continued safety. God does have the power to control what I cannot.