Your story has called to mind a precious incident which I would love to share with you. On that mid April day in 1970 I was teaching a class of fourteen special education children. They were very, very special to me. Along with the entire nation, my little flock was following every move of the ill-fated Apollo 13. Teacher, the newsman on TV said that even if the spaceship does get back to earth it will land right in the middle of a real awful storm and our men will be killed anyway.
Fear is infectious but so also is faith.
With a prayer in my heart, I calmed the children with the beautiful account of Christ's stilling the tempest on the Sea of Galilee. Heads bowed, eyes closed and lips moved silently, but I knew every little heart was in agreement with their teacher. The day moved along much as usual. I thanked the little messenger and even as he departed my little flock, as one, had dropped their pencils and with heads reverently bowed were thanking God for answered prayer. Penmanship class ended, and we were back at the table striving desperately to discover the relationship between pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and halves.