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Focus
A few years ago I visited the
Scaled Composites facility in the Mojave Desert where they had constructed
and launched a small private spacecraft called Space Ship One. We spent a
good part of the day in one of the hangers, working on a computer network,
and then it was time to start the long drive home. Before we left, my manager
and I got to see the actual Space Ship One, which was about to be moved to
the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.
This spacecraft had just won
the X-Prize for the first private vehicle launched into space at least 62
miles in altitude and return to earth successfully 2 times in a two week
period. We were given some special security badges and escorted into the
area where the space vehicle was on display. Famous aircraft designer, Burt
Rutan himself, stood near the ship giving an interview to a TV news reporter.
After the news crew left we went over and to see the vehicle up close, to
touch it, and to have our pictures taken with it.
Our engineer guide told us the
story about one of the early test flights. When the vehicle was released
from the White Knight mother ship at 46,000 feet, pilot Mike Melvill fired
the solid rocket motor and the ship began to accelerate towards its Mach 3,
2100 MPH top speed. It was then that the Flight Director display in front of
the pilot failed and the telemetry screen went blank. The pilot was
literally flying blind at this point. At this speed it is indeed possible to
fly the vehicle straight into the ground before there is time to react.
Instead of aborting the flight, the test pilot looked out one of the windows
and flew the ship by focusing his eyes on the horizon. The flight was a
success because the pilot was able to ignore the serious problem and just fix
his eyes on the horizon - a reference point that he knew would not fail him.
Later in the flight, the telemetry computer was rebooted and it revealed
that the vehicle was actually very close to the original flight plan
location.
That I could just focus on my
Savior and fix my eyes on Him instead of focusing on the difficulties around
me. He alone can bring us safely through on our mission in life. Peter
learned that lesson first hand when he was doing fine walking on the lake
towards Jesus until he lost his focus and looked at the waves and wind and
faltered.
It is easy to get bogged down
in very real problems of life and get sidetracked from our focus on Jesus.
If we concentrate and focus on our growth in Him, we find that when we
emerge from the clouds we are right on course and often these other things
have been resolved or we have a new peace to face them.
The writer of Hebrews put it well when he said:
HEB 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud
of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so
easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for
us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of
our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Richard Lewis
Pathway Christian Cruisers
Pathway Christian Church
Riverside, CA
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