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Posted on 04/20/2018 1:28:31 PM PDT by jazusamo
Facing an extremely stressful situation that could've resulted in hundreds of deaths, Southwest pilot Tammie Jo Shults safely landed her severely damaged plane in Philadelphia last week after an engine exploded. In the aftermath, the passengers on that plane as well as many in the media have hailed her as a hero, rightfully so. Turns out, Tammie Jo Shults is a committed Christian who loves sharing her faith. And we shouldn't be surprised by that.
Immediately after the averted tragedy, CNN published a piece titled " We Shouldn't Be Surprised that Southwest's Hero Pilot Is a Woman ." In her article, Juliette Kayyem wrote, "Shults showed that 'nerves of steel' can have two X chromosomes."
I would imagine that only the most intransigent misogynist would doubt Kayyem's assertion. And, to be clear, Kayyem's article wasn't intended to be an editorial version of Annie Get Your Gun's Anything You Can Do." While not agreeing with her every assertion, I do appreciate Kayyem's article, both the content (some of it) and the tone. In the article, she points out that during the crisis at 30,000 feet in the air, the frightened passengers weren't thinking about the pilot's gender. Adding to that, I submit that they weren't thinking about the pilot's religion either.
Whether or not the passengers cared about their pilot's faith doesn't take away from the fact that Shults' faith played an important role in her calm and successful handling of the near tragedy.
Speaking to Baptist Press , Shults' pastor, Mike Mantooth, said,
I'm always amazed at the caliber of people at FBC Boerne. Tammie Jo is an example of one of them. Through her commitment to excellence in aviation, she has gained a national platform to give witness to her faith in Christ. We are proud of her as her church family. She is being hailed as a national hero, and we are celebrating what God has done through her and at the same time praying for her as she grieves the loss of a passenger.
In the aftermath, Shults has been eager to give the credit to God, even referring to herself as merely the co-pilot. Speaking for Shults, her longtime friend Staci Thompson relayed that Shults "wants people to know that God was there with her. ... He helped her in getting control of that plane and landing that plane."
Based on Shults' testimony and life, those words are not intended just for show. She means them and she lives them. A longtime Sunday school teacher for all age groups, she once led First Baptist Church in Boerne, Texas's, children's worship program. BP News adds,
Thompson said Shults long has evidenced a heart for evangelism and ministries of compassion. She has provided housing for hurricane victims and widows, helps care for her disabled younger sister and her husband's elderly mother, and shares her faith in Christ with co-captains on Southwest flights.
So, even though the passengers on Flight 1380 were most likely not thinking about their pilot's faith, Shults' faith in God and her desire to submit to His will played a vital role in how she handled the mid-air explosion. While her training and experience were important variables, knowing that she was in God's hands was an important variable, too.
Thought you might enjoy this ping, FRiend.
Anybody else would have just pushed her the rest of the way out the window, and duct taped over the hole? /s
It’s nice to have some good news when you consider all the rubbish circulating today.
Bump!
Probably not.
But there appears to be a God shaped hole in the Human Psyche.
Many Christians have reported on the sense of calm and purpose their faith gave them in times of crises.
if she had hit a duck and it was New York, she would have a movie deal.
Nothing to see here.
Back to Trump Thumping, 24/7.
/s
The headlines should have shouted that the pilot is a Christian. Instead, they didn’t.
If she had augured the plane into the ground, or if it came out that Sully was a raging atheist, it doesn’t change a thing.
God is in control.
Luke 13:4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
John 9:1A he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
No, of course not, but many a man or woman faced with a very risky and uncertain situation, react in ways that may not be helpful to themselves nor, in this case, the souls on board. This woman, whose faith is probably the most important thing in her life, reacted with skill and confidence despite the risk, not fear and uncertainty. did her hope of life (eternal with her Lord, or just plain temporal continued) make a difference? Maybe, maybe not, but I’d bet on the skilled and faithful over the skilled and hopeless every time. Seen it first hand too many times. It’s all a matter of perspective.
Now, unlike some “faiths” where bad stuff is simply “god’s will”, Christians love life and want to save life rather than just shrug and say “imshallah”.
Like the burned Egyptian soldier whose commander refused to let us medivac him to Cairo West, since the American Army pilot was not a Muslim.... He died in our maint bay, screaming till the end. Bright Star 94.
Best
She did a great job. But I would not call her a hero. Any pilot worth a pound of salt could have landed that plane. By design the plane could easily land with one engine. This on a totally different scale than the pilot who landed his plane on the Hudson with no engines. He was a hero.
the good news is that we stumble across good people and heroic people in our lives...Thank God for that..
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That’s a great photo, this lady has it all together.
Two co-pilots...good one.
“God is my co-pilot.” 1945 movie.
Thanks, it’s the first thing that came to mind and remember that from when I was a kid.
until you understand the semi-automated ditching mode of the Airbus he was piloting. Sully did a great job, truly. just know the airplane helped him a good deal.
That’s marriage material, right there....
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