Nerves of Steel

One of the positives of limiting our schedules and staying inside is the chance to read the books we have stacked in a corner. 

I just finished Nerves of Steel by Tammie Jo Shults, the captain of Southwest Flight 1380. The lessons she provides are a word of hope to all of us during this pandemic crisis.

Our families, friends, and those around us are watching to see how our faith impacts our actions. 

We could all use nerves of steel for the next few weeks. 

Who is Tammie Jo Shults? 

There weren’t very many female pilots in the US Navy back in the 1980s, but Tammie Jo Shults was one of them. Her book provides an interesting look at her opportunities and her obstacles. Any woman who attempts to break social barriers has to be willing to suffer some hits, and Tammie Jo wanted to be a Navy pilot. Her story is composed of accomplishments and challenges. 

She became one of the first women to fly fighter jets for the Navy. She chose to endure prejudice, persecution, and hardships for the sake of her goals. Her faith kept her moving forward even when it would have been easier to quit. 

She credits her parents, her mentors, her friends, her husband, and, most importantly, her Lord for giving her the encouragement and strength she needed to pursue her goals. 

After retiring from the Navy, she was hired by Southwest Airlines and earned the opportunity to captain their aircrafts. That is what she was doing on April 17, 2018, when she piloted her Boeing 737 from LaGuardia and headed for Dallas. 

About twenty minutes into Flight 1380, one of the plane’s engines failed, the cockpit filled with smoke, and Tammie Jo Shults had to make a series of critical decisions. 

Instincts for any crisis 

Smoke filled the cockpit, and it was difficult to see the instruments. Tammie Jo said it felt like the plane had been T-boned by a Mack truck. At first, she thought another plane might have hit them. Quickly, she found the gauge that told her the left engine was dead. 

Just as quickly, the air pressure plummeted. A sharp pain pierced her ears. The roar was deafening. The plane began to vibrate violently. 

In all her years of training and flying, she had never experienced anything like that. 

But she had come close to disaster before. 

Her book describes the next moments 

The prologue records the brief moments that made all the difference. Tammie Jo wrote, 

Amid the confusion, I have a forced moment of solitude. I cannot see, I cannot hear, and I cannot breathe. I am isolated in one of life’s brief pauses, and adrenaline compresses my thoughts into an instant. This isn’t the first time I’ve flown without all the information I need. It isn’t the first time I’ve come close to disaster. My thoughts are distilled to their simplest form: bad news/good news. The bad news? With this fierce, abusive shuddering, I’m not sure everything we need to stay in flight will remain attached to the aircraft. This might be the day I meet my Maker face-to-face. The good news? We’re still flying. So it’s time to get to work. 

Tammie Jo knew salvation in Christ and had worked to have a strong walk with him as her strength. She instinctively turned to that strength in her moment of crisis. 

Later, when they listened to the cockpit tapes, she was surprised to hear her voice saying, “Heavenly Father.” 

She had instinctively prayed to the One she knew could help. 

Three lessons for a crisis 

The reason the book is titled Nerves of Steel is that a passenger on the flight used those words to describe the character of Tammie Jo’s words over the intercom, before she was able to land the disabled plane. She was calm. She gave them the information they needed and her voice quieted the chaos. 

She was asked to write the book so she could tell her story and help others understand how she was able to handle her terrifying circumstances. 

Tammie Jo gives three reasons she was able to function during that flight. 

Habits 

She writes, “Habits—good and bad—become instincts under pressure. In other words, the choices we make every day become our reflex on bad days.” 

She goes on to say that one of her lifelong habits was to turn to God for help when things were difficult. The peace that followed her prayer provided her a stillness that steadied her thoughts. 

Hope 

She writes, “I’ve come to realize since the events of Flight 1380 that hope may not change our circumstances, but it always changes us.” 

When Tammie Jo knew she was heading the plane toward an airport in Philadelphia, she told the entire plane, “We are landing in Philly.” She didn’t know they could land safely, but that hope caused everyone to find a place of peace and calm. 

Hope didn’t change their circumstances, but it changed them. 

Heroism 

Tammie Jo writes, “A true hero is someone who takes the time to see and makes the effort to act on behalf of someone else. In a word, they care.” 

She wanted everyone to realize that there were a lot of heroes on the plane that day. Her copilot, the flight crew, and several passengers had been extraordinarily brave and helpful both during and after the terrifying moments. 

What are your instincts for this crisis? 

All of us who watch the news know our nation, our world, is in a time of crisis. What are your instincts right now? 

How are the habits you have developed through your entire life carrying you now? 

I want to choose faith over fear. 

Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” 

I’m glad the government, the scientists, the doctors, and those who do research are hard at work right now. But, I trust it will be the Lord who guides them to the cure. He already has the answers. 

Will you pray with me that all those who want to help will cry out to God for that help? 

Will you share hope with those around you? 

Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” 

We all have an amazing opportunity to be a voice of calm amid the chaos. Does that describe your voice today? 

Will you be considered a hero when these days have passed? 

Tammie Jo Shults commented that she found it interesting that in most of her television interviews people didn’t want to talk about her skills as a pilot during those terrifying moments. They wanted to talk about the moments after she landed the plane. 

She had walked the aisles of the plane, helping people get what they needed, speaking to them kindly, showing interest in each passenger. That’s what people remembered. That is what made Tammie Jo Shults a hero. 

What will people remember about you after these days of crises? 

You can determine that answer now by your choices. 

Will you be someone’s hero in the days ahead? 

You know people who will be losing a lot of their hourly pay. 

You know people who will get sick. 

You know people who will be upset, scared, angry, and self-centered. 

Will you notice them—and help? 

You know Jesus wants to be their hero—through you. 

This crisis is an opportunity. 

Will you ask Jesus for the “nerves of steel” that you will need for these next weeks? 

He wants to answer that prayer. 

5 Tips for a Stronger Summer Soul

I’m done teaching my Bible study for this year, and so I’m writing this article for my own sake as much as yours.

It’s a lot easier for me to stay close to the Lord when I have to teach his Word each week. I usually spend a lot of time studying and preparing lessons as well as praying for the wisdom to teach them. Then summer rolls around and I spend less time relying on God and more time enjoying my coffee.

I want to do a better job enjoying both!

Now, I’m all for a summer break. We need some downtime once in a while. I will start to write next year’s Bible study in a couple of weeks and that will help. But, there are a few things that I try to do, especially in these summer months, to keep my soul inspired and God’s direction front and center each day. I thought I’d share those ideas with all of you.  

These are my ideas, but I would love to hear some of yours. Use the comment section or our Facebook link to share your thoughts.

1. Rise early.

“Joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5).  

The summer days are longer, but they will also get hot (especially in Texas). I like to have my first cup of coffee early, while I read The Daily Article, my husband’s morning essay, and the First15 devotional, written by my son.

Most of you probably get these already, but if you don’t, you should! Spending your time with these words about God will often inspire a word from God.

How do you take that word into your soul?

Put on comfortable shoes and start walking. Consider what God has spoken to you, and, chances are, God will speak words through you that day.

We all need to consume God’s thoughts if we want to have a well-fed soul.

2. Go to bed early.

“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2).

This is an obscure verse of Scripture, but it shouldn’t be!

Have you ever stopped to consider why we were created to need sleep?

God didn’t have to create us with that need, but he did. A ton of studies discuss the importance of sleep to our physical bodies, but have you ever thought about the benefits of sleep to our souls?

God can speak to us as we dream. Have you asked him to?

A good night’s sleep is healing to every aspect of our lives. We weren’t meant to work and toil all day. God wants us to rest, and to rest in him.

Give God your dreams, and, each morning, as you are thinking about what you have dreamed, ask God what he might be speaking to your soul.

3. Spend time on your friendships.  

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and not another to lift him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10).

There are so many people in this world I would love to know better. I wish I knew all of you, for example!

But there are only twenty-four hours to a day, and there are a lot more acquaintances in our lives than there are friends.

Heed King Solomon’s words: don’t just spend time with friends; spend some time on your friends.

Our friends should not just be good company. They should be people who strengthen our walk with the Lord and bless our souls—and we should be that kind of friend to them as well.

4. Experience God in an ancient, new way.  

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23).

These are familiar and favorite verses. God’s people have been sharing God’s wisdom for centuries. Add something to your spiritual journey that is ancient wisdom but new to you.

There are books of Christian quotes, websites with old sermons, and Christian novels written decades ago. There is something particularly refreshing to our souls to read words that God inspired in the past that are still his truth today.

God is timeless and timely. If he inspired truth one hundred years ago, it is still truth today.

5. Take time to enjoy God’s warmth.  

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

I have to admit, I love the warmth of summer. I love warm weather, flowers, vacations, swimming, and long, lazy walks on a beach. I love the sun on my toes and a great novel in my hands. I love long days and a slower work schedule.

And I love that I have time to just love the One who provides it all.

Fall will arrive, if Jesus doesn’t. I would love for all of us to look back on these summer months with gratitude for the time we spent just enjoying our God. He would enjoy our enjoyment. Our souls were made to find joy in our Father.

Your soul was created to enjoy its Creator. And he wants to spend these summer days with you, joyfully present in your life.

Strengthen Your Summer Soul

Those are my tips, and you can go to my website or Facebook page to share yours.

The summer months will come and go. Don’t you want to use them to strengthen your soul?

If you are like me, then some weeks will probably be better than others—but I’d like to have more of those great weeks. God gave us the season we call summer. He had to have a perfect reason! Let’s plan to enjoy the days ahead because we trust that God has a plan to strengthen our souls with his joy.