By Chief Sam DiGiovanna
One of the reasons that airplanes crash is due to an invisible, powerful wind shear that suddenly forces a plane downward with such pressure that it cannot recover. The problem with wind shears is that they are difficult to detect.
Firefighting aircraft experience wind shear due to erratic wind, up/down drafts, and microbursts. They seemingly come from out of nowhere, and the result can be the release of thousands of gallons of fire retardant or water in a matter of seconds.
You can think of wind shears like the difficulties and issues you face in your life. You are flying along, minding your own business, doing the best you can, then all of a sudden, a “wind shear” impacts you. Some unexpected burst of opposition comes upon you and threatens to make you crash.
For airplanes, aviation experts have developed a technology to address this. It’s called Doppler radar. This meteorological marvel has the ability to see the unseeable, read it and let incoming pilots know what they have to contend with.
A wise pilot always pays close attention because he or she understands that the radar can see and understand what they cannot. The pilot would be a fool to trust his or her instincts and ignore the radar. Similarly, you and I would be foolish to trust our instincts and take our focus off of the one who can see the unseeable in our own lives and help us to make sense of that which is targeted at us with the intention to cause us to crash.
In my personal life, God is my most used ‘radar’ to navigate through life. He keeps me focused on those unexpected “wind shears” that can come out of from nowhere.
In my professional life I rely both on God and department polices. They too can navigate you through both expected and unexpected wind shears that are ahead. Let’s stay connected to each other. Be a wise pilot always paying close attention to God and our other radar (policies) for the unexpected. You can’t go wrong with both help to see and to understand how to navigate through the unexpected unchartered wind shears ahead.
Credit: Pastor Tony Evans
Sam DiGiovanna is a 40-year fire service veteran. He started with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, served as Fire Chief at the Monrovia Fire Department, and currently serves as Chief at the Verdugo Fire Academy in Glendale, Calif. He also is a consultant for Lexipol Fire Services www.lexipol.com