I’m sitting here, sipping my coffee—black, strong, the way Jesus intended—and scrolling through the news before heading out to church. And I keep landing on this story about Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. You’ve probably seen it floating around (pun fully intended). They finally touched down last week—March 18, if you’re keeping track—after nearly 10 months in space.
What was supposed to be a two-week mission turned into 286 days of “Hey, NASA… y’all still working on that ride home?”
I’ve been hooked on this whole saga since their Starliner launched back in June of ‘24. Thruster issues, helium leaks, all the Boeing-meets-NASA chaos. And somewhere in the middle of all that, they just… kept floating.
Did you happen to catch Butch’s interview from space? Unfortunately, I haven’t seen it on most major news networks—but man, it’s one that needs to be seen and heard.
But here’s what stuck with me. During a press call from the International Space Station—right before SpaceX came to the rescue—a reporter asked Butch what his biggest takeaway was after all that time up there. I figured he’d give the usual “teamwork and innovation” speech. But nah. Butch got real.
He said, “I can tell you honestly, my feeling on all of this goes back to my faith. It’s bound in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is working out His plan and His purposes for His glory throughout all of humanity, and how that plays into our lives is significant and important. And however that plays out, I am content because I understand that.”
That hit me like a re-entry capsule.
This guy is stuck 250 miles above Earth, eating space food and watching sunrises on loop, and he’s content—because he knows Jesus is enough.
Meanwhile, I’m down here losing my peace when the dog chews up my flip-flops or my coffee goes cold too fast.
Psalm 46:10 keeps ringing in my head—
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Butch didn’t sign up for a long haul. He packed light, prepped for a quick trip, and ended up on an unexpected detour. But instead of freaking out, he leaned in. Trusted that God knew exactly where he was—even up there, circling the globe.
It reminds me of Joseph in the pit or Paul in chains. I doubt they had any clue what God was doing in the moment. But they stayed faithful. And God showed up.
I’ve had my own little versions—nothing headline-worthy, but still real. Like that one time a quick gas station run turned into an hour of helping a stranger. Plans? Scrapped. But God? Still working.
So as I finish this cup, I’m just sitting with Butch’s words. A man, floating in space, clinging to faith, and pointing it all back to Jesus.
Makes me stop and ask—what’s my excuse?
Where’s God asking me to trust Him, even when the ride’s longer than expected? What detours have I been grumbling through when I could be saying, “Alright Lord, I trust You”?
I don’t have it all figured out. But I know this—faith holds, even in orbit.
