Brian ending up alone in the wilderness after surviving a plane crash is a situation that could quickly end in tragedy. He could die with no food or shelter or help. But he does not: instead, he learns how to survive. He grows strong and resourceful and determined.

Goodness thus comes out of tragedy. Brian changes and becomes more determined and perceptive because of what he experiences. As difficult as his situation is, Brian’s determination to survive the worst pushes him to become the best. Even later in his life, “his ability to observe what was happening and react to it,” along with his thoughtfulness and appreciation for the little things in life set him apart.

The tornado offers another example of goodness rising out of tragedy. The tornado takes almost everything Brian has worked so hard to provide for himself, yet it gives him the plane. And the plane gives him the survival pack. The survival pack gives him the emergency transmitter, which leads to his rescue. Disaster in this situation leads to deliverance.

Readers might find inspiration in this reality, for everyone faces tragedies in life. Yet beneath the surface, goodness may be waiting to appear. No one can fully predict the outcome of any event, and like Brian, one may be surprised by how much good can come out of the worst of circumstances.