April 13, 2007
by Civil Air Patrol Chaplain Franklin Blodgett
I was called by the Alaska Wing Civil Air Patrol Commander, requesting me to visit a CAP Pilot who had been badly injured in a plane crash on the Alaska Peninsula. I immediately responded, however, because of his recent injuries and medication, was only able to share a few verses of Scripture and pray for his recovery.
Three days later, my 21-year-old daughter and I had an opportunity visit this pilot at Providence Hospital in Anchorage. I asked him, “Don, suppose the worst had happened in the plane crash and instead of surviving you had been killed. Do you know for certain that you would have gone to heaven?” Don responding by telling us that just before the crash, he had a peace that he wouldn’t be killed, but he didn’t know for certain about heaven as his future home.
After a brief discussion, I shared with him how to be certain about heaven and how to receive the gift of eternal life. I explained that it simply meant trusting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Then, I said, “Don, the term, “Lord” doesn’t have a whole lot of meaning today. I want to give you an illustration of what I mean. Suppose you are getting ready to fly from Seward to Anchorage and as you are getting the aircraft ready, Jesus comes up to you and asks for a ride to Merrill Field. You recognize that it is Jesus—there is no doubt in your mind. You say, “Sure Jesus, you can ride with me anywhere. Hop in the copilot seat.” And Jesus says, “No Don, I want to be in the pilot seat; I want to fly you through the good weather and the bad, the icing conditions and the non-icing conditions, the down drafts and the updrafts. I want be to the pilot in command of your life. I want to be at the yoke of your life or if you want to put in car terms at the steering wheel of your life.”
That day Don trusted Jesus Christ to be the pilot of his life. I told him, “Don, this is the most important decision you have made.” He said, “I believe you.” When I visited him the next day, the chaplain from Don’s squadron in Steward was in Don’s room. The first thing Chaplain Blair said to me was, “Don has just shared with me the good news!”
A few weeks later, Don called me and asked me to perform a wedding ceremony for him and his fiancée. I visited and talked with both of them and learned that he had shared his decision with her and she was excited. A few days later, it was my pleasure to unite this couple in the bonds of matrimony.