Did you know the Titanic had a sister ship named the Olympic?  The Olympic had stolen most of the press and accolades of the day by being  the first to be launched.  Her lavishness and modern amenities were mirrored by the Titanic.  She was also injured, but she did not sink.

Odds are we would never know much about the Titanic nor her captain had they sailed safely in to New York harbor as planned.  

The Titanic’s Captain, Edward Smith had the nickname “the Millionaires Captain” because of his status as the finest and highest paid ocean liner captain of the day.  His 45 years of experience and 30+ years of exemplary service at White Star Lines caused him to be the natural choice to captain their most valued ships, the Olympic and Titanic.

We don’t hear about the collision of Titanic’s sister ship, the Olympic, after it was accidentally rammed by the naval ship the HMS Hawke.  A collision that found the Olympic at fault because of speed and proximity management.  It was going too fast and was too close, drawing the smaller Hawke in because of its massive wake and hydrodynamic suction effect.  

Ironically, speed was one of the contributing factors found to have caused the Titanic’s collision with that massive iceberg on that still, cloudless night.  In both collisions it was found that Captain Smith was operating the ships in what was considered normal patterns of speed and navigation.  But, one collided and one sank.

Most of us remember that “miracle on the Hudson,” when Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger skillfully guided that injured airplane to safely land on the Hudson River.  He immediately achieved incredible recognition and worldwide fame.  He did so because of 30 years experience as a professional pilot and 42 years of overall flying as a teenager and military pilot.  We could not get enough of Sully, all the while him saying that he did nothing different than he had done thousands of times before.  This time is just counted a little more.

I often talk about how an exemplary life, marriage, profession or relationship can be destroyed in a split second.  When we take our eyes off what is most critical in our lives, we open ourselves up to crushing failure.  Today’s world highlights what is fast, flashy, exciting and what elicits envy.  I am sure Captain Smith’s contemporaries were envious of him, until that fateful iceberg.  I know that other airline pilots were in awe of Sully’s act of heroism as he landed his plane on the water, while all saying they would not want to trade places with him in that moment.

So my point is this, how you are remembered pales in comparison to how you handle the icebergs in your life.  Our brains are wired to remember negative more than positive, so don’t sweat it when people are slow to applaud your accomplishments while quick to point out your failures.  Knowing who you are is so much important than allowing the World to define you. 

I believe this can be traced to what is called sinful nature.  King David, the second king of Israel was awarded the title of ‘a man after God’s heart’ long before he became king, and long before he committed adultery with Bathsheba.  There is no question that David was a flawed man, a mediocre father at best and a man swayed by those around him.  Still, he was and is remembered as a man after God’s own heart because of his repentance and perpetual faithfulness, even after hitting massive icebergs during his life.  He is remembered, rightfully so, for his lifetime’s body of work.  His failures were but moments in decades of accomplishment.

The icebergs of life are sure to come, how will you handle the 75% that lies beneath the surface?  Remember, the icebergs melt, the heart does not.  Be steadfast in the face of shifting ideals and opinions.  Be true to who you are.