July 20, 2022

That was the 53^rd Anniversary of the Moon Landing.

I know the date because I was born on that day. I was 3 when my birthday cake featured a rocket and my parents kept me up to watch the moon landing on our black and white television. I remember it. Well, I remember what they’ve told me about that day and thus created a memory to draw on.

A few years ago, the film First Man was released. Did you see it? It featured Ryan Gosling in the role of Neil Armstrong. My son Jarod and I watched the film. He’s always been fascinated by the space race and moon landing. I can take a little bit of credit for introducing him to Apollo 13 and numerous docudramas about the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo years. But I can’t take credit for his continued interest. He was six when my husband Doug and I took him and our 6-week-old daughter Paige to NASA. The fascination still seems to stick—as it does for me.

In the film, there is this one pivotal moment that really resonated with me. Neil Armstrong is all alone. Radio silence. The lunar module had to travel around the dark side of the moon. There would be no contact from earth or the capsule. Just Armstrong alone in a place where there were no “befores.” No comforting words from Mission Control. Just him in this small metal box … billions of miles from home. No idea if he would really every make it back. Oh, what was supposed to happen had been theorized and outlined on paper. But, before that actual moment, had not truly been tested.

The film creates a chilling atmosphere. There’s no background music playing. Nothing. Just Armstrong’s breath. The silence emphasizes how alone he was out there in space.

Life is kinda like that. The theories and plans are there. But … will they work? We can fill our calendars and look ahead, but we cannot predict life. We are alone in the world … with all sorts of plans.

And, as we hurtle through space – like that Apollo 11 rocket hurtled through space – what will we find when, and if, we land? Will be find ourselves without communication, on the dark side of the moon? Where exactly WILL we land? Will it be on solid ground? Will we make a return trip safely? Will the travels change us? And, will that transformation be for the best … or not?

So … Neil Armstrong. Silence. Alone. Descending steps from the lunar module onto the surface of the Moon. A place previously untouched. No human had every attempted anything like that. Each step down was a step into the unknown. Each leap across the surface, was a leap in utter silence and into the unknown. And, when he eventually climbed back into that capsule after the life-altering time exploring the Sea of Tranquility, he had to wonder would the capsul really leave the moon and dock with the Command Module … and would it safely return on earth?

The scientists had theories. But the scientists weren’t out there. They were back at their chalkboards, biting their nails and hoping all those mathematical equations were correct.

Each day, we live through that. Silence when life is rough. Often we face difficult moments alone. We don’t truly know what will happen as we rise from bed. Oh, we make lots of plans. But, those are just … guidelines for what might actually happen.

No. As we drift through space like Neil Armstrong, all we truly have is Faith that we are not hurtling through space alone. Faith that we will make it to the moon, that we will walk safely across its surface, that we will climb back into our little rocket and that we will make it home safe to our family, friends, and faithful cat in one piece.

One small step for man. One giant leap for mankind. It’s all about Faith. Every step and every leap … be they small or be they giant.