Fly Me to the Moon

Three "Wanna-be" Astronauts   Cape Canaveral, FL 2008

Waiting for Shuttle Lift-Off  Cape Canaveral, FL  2008

1 Corinthians 4:2 NIV 

"Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."

My family and friends know if they need a lifeline for the American Space Program on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, I'm the one to call. I followed the Gemini and Apollo programs closely in the 1960s and 70s. I could practically recite Walter Cronkite's prelaunch narrative before each flight verbatim.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin received celebrity status as the first two men on the moon. Michael Collins, though, is less remembered.

Who is he? His was the steady hand in the command module keeping the route home open for the boys working on the moon's surface.

I felt sorry for Michael Collins. I was 9 years old, and he was a grown up, but even I had enough sense to know he wanted to walk on the moon, too.

In the early 1990s, Capt. Richard Gordon, of Apollo 12, appeared at our mall. I couldn't pass up this chance to meet him.

The line to see his display was embarrassingly short. I thought more people should be honoring him. However, as a result, Capt. Gordon stood off by himself allowing me the opportunity to speak to him.


"Capt. Gordon. I always felt sorry for those of you who had to stay behind in the command module."

He looked into my eyes and confided, "So did we!"

His confession stuck with me as I drove home.

These men had sacrificed personal goals for the greater good of their team. Knowing a similar opportunity was unlikely to present itself, I wondered how they passed their time as they orbited the moon to focus on their work and not their disappointment.

When I give up plans I have made because of the needs of others, some are difficult to walk away from. However, if I don’t give them up with a loving spirit, the sacrifice doesn’t mean much.
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Lord, bless those who make sacrifices to help others achieve their dreams.