DON'T GIVE UP - The Warrior's Journey®

The copilot, Alastair Atchison could do nothing to save the captain, since he was desperately trying to gain control of the aircraft and radio for help. Skiptocontent Faithfulness DON’TGIVEUP .PhotobyislicensedunderCCBy2.0 Insignificance TOOBIGTOMISS?   IFYOU’REDOINGWELL,WHYSTOP?   THEMOSTFRUSTRATINGTASK Insignificance STRIVINGTOPLEASE? Insignificance NOTBYCHANCE Patriotism Humanity’sHabitatisatStake SelflessService ThePayback SelflessService HeatoftheRaceisNottheTimetoCelebrateVictory Insignificance SEEKINGOPPORTUNITYTODOGOOD Honor There’saPermanencetoOurWordsandDeeds Insignificance ThingsIRemindMyselfofContinually OneofthemostharrowingairlineflightstookofffromBirmingham,EnglandinroutetoMalaga,SpainonJune10,1990.BritishAirwaysFlight5390departedat0720with81passengersandsixcrewmembersaboardincommandoftheflightwasCaptainTimLancasterandhiscopilotAlistairAtchison.Thetakeoffandclimbwereuneventful.LancasterandAtchisonswitchedtheaircrafttoautopilotandunfastenedtheirseatbelts. TerrifyingChoice Then,onlythirteenminutesintotheflightandatanaltitudeof17,300theunthinkablehappened.Anewlyinstalledwindshieldonthecaptain’ssideofthecockpitblewout.Thiscausedanimmediatedecompressionoftheplane,fillingtheflightdeckwithawhitemist,thenasuddenblastof400MPHandzero-tempair.Tomakethesituationmoreterrifying,CaptainLancasterwasimmediatelysuckedoutoftheplane.However,hisfeetbecamecaughtinthecontrols,preventinghimfrombeingpulledoutcompletely. Thecopilot,AlastairAtchisoncoulddonothingtosavethecaptain,sincehewasdesperatelytryingtogaincontroloftheaircraftandradioforhelp.Nearesttotheflightdeckwasseniorattendant,NigelOgden.Hegrabbedthecaptain’sfeet,freedthemfromthecontrolsandheldonfordearlife.Innotimeatall,Ogden’sarmswerefrostbitten,andhislimbsbegantoloseallfeeling.Anotherflightattendant,JohnHeward,rushedintotheflightdeck.HeremovedthecabindoorwhichhadbecomewedgedagainstthecontrolsandgrabbedholdofOgdentokeephimfrombeingpulledoutoftheplanewiththecaptain. Meanwhile,Atchison,thecopilotdescendedto11,000feetandmanagedtoslowtheaircraftto175MPH.Withthedeceleration,thecaptain’sbodyslidtothesideoftheaircraft,justoutsideoneoftheremainingwindows.AsOdgenlookedouttheblood-coveredwindow,hecouldseethecaptain’sface.Thecaptain’seyeswerewideopen.Yetashisfacebegantobounceagainstthewindshield,thecaptainneverblinked.FromthisthecrewdeterminedthatCaptainLancasterwasdeadanddiscussedwhethertheyshouldletgoofhisbody. WorthHoldingOnto Thecopilot,however,orderedthemtoholdontothecaptain.Hesaidthecaptain’sbodymightstrikethewingortheengineanddamagethem.ButbythistimeNigelOgdenwasattheendofhis strengthandcouldholdonnomore.JohnHewardtookhisplaceandathirdflightattendant,SimonRogers,assistedhim. Aftertwenty-twominutestheaircraftwasfinallysafelyonthegroundatSouthamptonAirport.EmergencyservicesrushedtotheplaneandextractedCaptainLancasterfromthefrontoftheaircraftandfoundhim–alive!Althoughhewasunconscious,hisheartwasstillbeating,thankfully.Lancasterwastreatedforfracturestohisrightarm,leftthumbandrightwrist,aswellasforfrostbiteandshock.Hereturnedtoworkfivemonthslater. Thinkaboutit.Thoseflightattendantsheldontothecaptain,eventhoughtheystronglysuspectedthatsavinghimwasalostcause.Ogdensufferedadislocatedshoulder,frostbitetohisarmsandface,andyearsofPTSD.Thatwashispriceforsavingthecaptain’slife.Butheandtheothershadtoholdon,nomatterwhat.Everyone’slifewasatstake. PushThroughDiscouragement ThinkofthemedicalprofessionalswhorisktheirownlivestosavevictimsoftheCoronavirus.Theyroutinelyendangerthemselvesknowingthatwithouttheirdevotiontoduty,peoplewillmostcertainlydie.Thinkofthemenandwomeninuniformwhoputtheirlivesonthelineeverydaytoserveandprotectournation. Similarly,thinkofthosewhoprayforunsavedlovedones,spouses,children,parents,andfriendswhoshownopromiseofeverturningtoChrist.Yetbelieverscontinuetoprayandrefusetogiveup,evenattimesofdiscouragement.FortheyknowthatGodHimselfhasburdenedtheirheartsforthelostlovedone.TheybelievetoomuchinGod’sgoodnesstothinkthatHewouldplacesuchaburdenupontheirheartswithoutintendingtoanswertheirprayersandsavetheunsavedoneswelove.So,keepservingandkeeppraying,evenwhenitseemslikealostcause.Godisusingyourlaborsandyourprayerstobringabouttheeternalredemptionofothers.   PRAYER DearFatherinheaven,thoughIgetdiscouragedandbegintodoubtthatthoseIloveandprayforwilleverfindChrist,Iwillcontinuetoprayfortheirsalvation.ItrusttoomuchinYourgoodnessandlovetobelievethatYouwouldplacethisburdenonmyheartandhavenointentionofsavingthem.PleasestrengthenmyfaithinYouandkeepmefaithfultoYourwork.Pleasealsoblessandprotectallthosewhoserveothersattheperiloftheirownlives.Blessandprotectallthosedoctors,nursesandhealthprofessionalswhocareforthesickanddying.Blessallthosemenandwomeninuniformwhoserveandprotectournation.GuardthemagainstalldangerandthreatsandempowerthembyYourdivineSpirit.Amen. Informationfrom: https://home.bt.com/news/on-this-day/june-10-1990-miracle-of-ba-flight-5390-as-captain-is-sucked-out-of-the-cockpit-and-survives-11363985642960; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqRWupOv8DQ Thecontentofthisarticlecomesfrom“TheWarrior’sBible”(2014)andiscopyrightedbyLifePublishersInternational.Usedwithpermission. ShareThisArticle RelatedArticles Faith AMAZINGSUSTAINEDFLIGHT Helplessness AT-FAULTWITHGOD FamilyBrokenness THESEEDSOFATROCITYHAVEBEENSOWN TheWarrior'sBible WithOver600ArticlesWrittenforWarriors LearnMore HonorEvents LearnMore Let'sTalk 100%Confidential|Warrior-to-warrior Werespondwithin24hoursandcanprovidecommunitysupport,resources,andreferrals. Partner TheFaithBasedVeteranServiceAlliance Partner MightyOaks Partner REBOOTCombatRecovery Partner Officers’ChristianFellowship MorePartners