On April 11, women of St. Stephen’s gathered for an uplifting morning with parishioner and author Jackie Pflug. With warmth and honesty, Jackie invited us into both the extraordinary and the everyday moments that have shaped her life.

Many first came to know Jackie’s story through her book, Miles To Go Before I Sleep, about her courageous survival of the hijacking of EgyptAir Flight 648, when she was shot in the head and left for dead on a runway in Malta. What followed was not only a long recovery, but a deeply personal and spiritual journey marked by resilience and transformation.

Drawing from her newest book, WAKE UP! It’s Time to Say Yes to Creating a Life Worth Loving, Jackie reflected on how that experience—and the years that followed—reshaped her understanding of life and faith. Rather than letting that moment define her, she has continued to listen for God’s guidance, paying attention to the quiet prompts she receives, and choosing to say yes – even when the path ahead isn’t clear.

She shared the story of returning to Malta more than 20 years after the hijacking. Though she didn’t understand why, the prompting persisted until she finally said yes. As she followed that call, the path began to unfold—connections were made, doors opened, and the trip took shape, even amid a busy life of speaking engagements and raising her son. But, she still didn’t know why she was going back to place with so many terrible memories. Then, one day, she received her answer – to be thankful. As Jackie shared, “I was going to Malta to find as many people as I could to thank them for saving my life.”

The trip was deeply meaningful—and it became a turning point. In the years that followed, Jackie sensed another call: it was time to let go of the 25-year speaking career that had grown out of her first book. “I got the message,” she said. “It was time to let go.”

What Jackie carries forward now are the lessons she learned through those experiences. She spoke of a profound sense of knowing—even in the most life-threatening moments of her story. “I knew I was being taken care of. I knew I was being watched over the whole time.” That kind of knowing has shaped her trust in the prompts and invitations she continues to follow.

In the years that followed, Jackie described a season of feeling lost, of needing to rebuild her life again. Through writing, she began to find her way forward. Her newest book grew out of that transformation—a reflection on her experiences and choosing gratitude, joy, peace, and purpose every day.

We are especially grateful to Jackie for sharing this morning with us—her first time speaking publicly since retiring—and for her openness, courage, and willingness to say yes once again.

She left us with a simple yet lasting invitation: trust that along the winding road, God is already at work—guiding us toward a life worth loving. It’s up to us to say yes.