S3 EP15: When the Unthinkable Happens: Vallie Collins on Faith, Fear, and the Miracle on the Hudson

Let's Be Cleere

Cleere

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

5 • 696 Ratings

🗓️ 16 June 2025

⏱️ 74 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What do you think about in the moments you believe might be your last?

When Vallie Collins boarded US Airways Flight 1549, she never imagined it would be known as the Miracle on the Hudson. And she certainly didn’t expect to hear the captain’s voice over the speaker say, “Brace for impact.” But on that cold January day in 2009, her life—and every perspective she held—was about to be radically redefined.

In this episode, Vallie opens up about the fear, surrender, and surreal clarity that met her in those final seconds before the crash… and how surviving it has forever changed the way she lives.

We talk about what legacy means when you’ve stared death in the face, how eternal perspective becomes more than just a concept, and why faith isn’t the absence of fear—but the courage to keep flying anyway.

Vallie shares what it was like to return to the air after the crash, how she’s raising her kids with a sense of grounded gratitude, and why she believes every single day is a miracle worth noticing.

Her story is a breath of perspective, a challenge to live with intention, and a reminder that when your feet touch the ground again—physically or spiritually—you don’t walk the same.

This conversation will leave you asking:

• What really matters when everything else fades?

• How would I live differently if I truly believed each day was a gift?

• Am I living in a way that reflects what I want to leave behind?

Tune in for a story that will stir your soul, soften your fears, and inspire you to live more fully today—because you never know what moment will change everything.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey friend, welcome to the Let's Be Clear podcast. I'm your host, Clear Cherry Reeves. I'm a wife, mom,
0:09.2	creator of the clearly stated brand, author, speaker, and professional over user of exclamation marks.
0:16.4	But that's because, spoiler alert, talking about Jesus and the ways that he is moving in our everyday lives makes me so excited.
0:26.9	Around here, we believe two things.
0:29.4	One, you are immeasurably loved and liked by Jesus just as you are.
0:34.6	And two, it's our absolute joy to call out where we see him radiating in you,
0:41.5	especially when you struggle to see it.
0:44.6	Life just hits differently when you see it from a heavenly perspective, doesn't it?
0:48.7	So let's dig deep and chase after that abundant life God has for us.
0:54.1	I'm clear, and this is the Let's Be Clear podcast.
0:58.3	Let's get started.
1:05.6	Guys, I always tell you how excited I am for every guest,
1:10.1	but truly I feel so grateful to get to talk to people from all over who do different things and have these incredible stories.
1:18.4	And so it makes me really excited to share with you today, my dear friend, Valley Collins.
1:24.8	Valley is, and I met her at the loved one ambassador retreat, which was not too
1:31.1	long ago, and I just fell in love with who she is. And I know you guys will too. She's hilarious.
1:36.5	So I'm hoping she would just drop her one-liners. She is so wise, tender and heart, wildly capable.
1:43.2	That is something I realized about you, Valley, and a fantastic storyteller.
1:47.6	She was one of the passengers on the flight that landed in the Hudson River, now known as the miracle on the Hudson.
1:53.3	And so you just wait until you hear her story.
1:55.7	And we are going to convince her that the book's coming out soon.
1:58.2	Yes, I just said that.
	...

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