The Challenger – January 28, 1986
On January 28, 1986, the American shuttle orbiter Challenger broke up 73 seconds after liftoff, bringing a devastating end to the spacecraft’s 10th mission. The disaster claimed the lives of all seven astronauts aboard, including Christa McAuliffe, a teacher from New Hampshire who had been selected to join the mission and teach lessons from space to schoolchildren around the country. It was later determined that two rubber O-rings, which had been designed to separate the sections of the rocket booster, had failed due to cold temperatures on the morning of the launch. The tragedy and its aftermath received extensive media coverage and prompted NASA to temporarily suspend all shuttle missions. (from History dot com)
Where were you?
There are events in each of our histories clearly etched in our minds – we remember the precise and exact moment of a happening. We remember where we were. What we were doing. Who we were with. The Challenger catastrophe was one such event for me, as was 9.11.2001. IF you were alive, and old enough, I venture to say you could tell me exactly…
Where you were.
On January 28, 1986, 11:40 a.m., the concierge of Trump Plaza, Palm Beach, came running into my office shouting, “Oh my God, it blew up – oh my God, it blew up!” The manager, the concierge, and I took to the elevators and rode the 32 stories to the roof. We looked northeast in a stunningly beautiful blue South Florida sky and saw exactly what the above image portrays. Wreck and carnage in the sky falling into the Atlantic Ocean, so turquoise and lovely, it made us weep. The three of us just stood there, dumbfounded and shocked. A moment in time forever engraved on my mind’s tablet.
Fast forward ten or so years. I was sitting with a local artist at the conference table of the Chamber of Commerce, West Jefferson, NC, discussing a logo.
“Ah, so you are a Believer? A Christian?” I excitedly asked.
“I was born a Christian.” She replied.
Red warning flag! Born a Christian? Funny, I’ve always believed we were born with a sin nature (yet innocent). Case in point, put one cookie, or a desirable toy on the floor with three or four toddlers and see what happens!!! Not pretty!
IF we remember where we were when important events in history occurred, how much more should we remember important spiritual events. The day of our salvation…
Where were you?
Let’s see where some of our favorite women, and one man, in the New Testament were when their hearts were changed for all of eternity:
- Mary Magdalene. The moment Jesus said to her, “Mary!” And, she realized the resurrected, living Christ stood before her and exclaimed, “Teacher!” Etched for all eternity on Mary’s heart – I am His, I am born anew!
- Lydia. A successful business woman in Thyatira, Philippi. She was a God-worshiper, but did not know the resurrected Christ, until Paul visited her ladies prayer meeting one Sabbath day. Dr. Luke, a master of words, puts it like this: “The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.” Saved! Etched for all eternity on Lydia’s heart – I am the Lord’s, I am born anew!
- The Ethiopian Eunuch. A man of great authority, a worshiper, and a reader of the prophets. Yet, he didn’t have a clue that he could be a new creation in Christ! “How can I understand unless someone guides me?” He asked Philip. Philip immediately “preached Jesus to him.” The rest of this story is simply awesome – I’ll sum it up quickly. The eunuch said, “I (now) believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Born-again! Etched for all eternity on the Ethiopian’s heart – I am His – I am born anew!
- Susan Chamberlain Shipe. July 8, 1959 playing with her dolls when her sister asked her if she would go to heaven if Jesus came back right then. 8, almost 9-years old, Susie knelt on the grass in the side yard at her Buckley Avenue home, and gave her heart to Jesus. Advance a few years to 1992 to a Baptist revival invitation, a 42-year old Susan knelt alone at an empty altar and recommit her whole life to The One who gave His for her. All in! Etched for all eternity on Susan’s heart – I am Yours, Lord, forever Yours.
Where were you?
My friends, eternity is too real to not be sure. We, none of us, were ‘born a Christian’ – the Word of God gives us example after example of lives being transformed by the transforming work of Calvary. Specific events in people’s lives – a place, a time, when their life was changed, their lives were redirected because something happened inside of them. I beg each of you to answer this question for yourself,
Where were you?
xo
Linked with Three Word Wednesday and Coffee for Your Heart today!
I remember that devastating day of the Challenger tragedy. I couldn’t stop thinking about the teacher on board and all the children who were probably so excited for her upcoming lessons. I’m sure they were watching and their little hearts were breaking as the horrifying end unfolded.
I was definitely not born a Christian. It took me until my 40s to finally truly have faith in God. It took everything I’ve been through in my life to bring me here. Great examples you shared :).
Candace, thank you for visiting and sharing your testimony!
I was on Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach, FL and actually had stopped to watch the launch because it was such a clear day. As soon as I saw the Challenger I knew it was not good. I had watched many launches and knew this was not right. Cars stopped all over the road in no particular way, just to cry out and watch in horror as we all knew what had happened. I can still see the pattern of the clouds just like the pictures on the news because I watched it “live” and I will never forget it. Devastating to know that people entered into eternity right at that moment.
Sister, I think about your last sentence. Those people were one minute excited and one second later gone. Extremely surreal.
For the shuttle. . .I was a nanny at the time and I was on the living room floor playing with the baby when I saw the news coverage on tv right after it happened.
My salvation. . .also on the living room floor, crying at the age of 12, telling my mother I wanted to invite Christ into my life. She sat on a stool and prayed with me.
Kristin, you’ve spent quite a bit of time on the living room floor!
Wow, Susan. What a powerful question. Just reading through your words brought memories and images back oh so quickly.
So grateful that He is there through all those line in the sand moments that impact us for life.
Linda, thank you for visiting and your kind comments.
I wasn’t quite old enough to remember the Challenger, but I have heard the stories. I love how you added your own story along with the Biblical figures. I don’t have an exact date for when I ask the Christ to come into my life, but I remember significant events that happened along the way in my relationship with Him.
I was at a Happy Hunters’ meeting when I was born again. A friend had told me about her faith and I realized all I had done was gone to church all my life – I actually realized I hadn’t been born a Christian – lol! Great post! Remembering playing with dolls as I read too.
Deb, so glad we’ll share eternity together!
What a great way to tie in the anniversary of the challenger explosion. I was alive, but very young, so i don’t remember it. I do remember waking up the morning of September 11th and hearing the news on the radio.
I also remember a more important event. 2nd grade summer program. I asked Jesus to be LORD of my life. I still remember the children’s pastor praying the prayer with me.
Amanda, THAT is the most important “remembering”!
I recently blogged about my moment of deciding to follow Jesus. It’s so important to remember the milestones of our faith and look back on God’s faithfulness. Thanks for linking up at #ThreeWordWednesday.
Kristin, what you call “milestones”, I call “anchor points”…Lynnae McCoy calls “stones of remembrance”.
Love the way you tied the Challenger explosion with the importance of the day of our salvation.
The Challenger – I was in science class, and we were watching the launch on TV live. Devastating moment. I just remember the class going quiet.
The day I knew I was saved? After a college Bible study meeting. I decided I wasn’t going to try to live with one foot in the world and the other following Christ anymore. I was going to be all in for Jesus. That was a little over 21 years ago.
Lynnae, “ALL IN”, the only stance to take! xo
11/12/2005 ~ at the age of 42 I was reconciled with my Lord after 26 long years of estrangement. Hallelujah! Oh how thankful I am for His saving grace!
Oh! Michelle! Me too!
In the local shopping mall that had suddenly gone silent
Yvonne, one of those “never forget” moments.
My Mother told me that when I was 4 I asked Jesus to come into my heart. But because I could not remember that, I raised my hand in my Sunday School class when I was 9 years old, at the end of the teacher’s prayer and “altar call.” I wanted to make sure that I knew that Jesus was my Lord. That teacher became one of my most trusted mentors, always encouraging our young hearts to read the Bible and listen hard for Jesus. “Sister Halquist” is one I am longing to see again in Heaven.
Beautiful, BettieG. Most likely the 4 y/o “took” but the 9 y/o sealed the deal!