Courtesy of Lisa Jefferson

Lisa Jefferson led a happy, predictable life. Days and weeks blurred together with the same routine: caring for her family and working as an AirFone operator in Oak Brook, Illinois. Sept. 11, 2001, was just another day until she was patched through to Todd Beamer, a passenger aboard the ill-fated United Flight 93. Lisa spent 15 minutes talking and praying with Todd. When the plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Lisa's predictable world shattered.

Suddenly, Lisa was thrust into the spotlight. Since she had been an ear-witness to the tragedy, the FBI wanted her to recount every detail of the conversation. And people she never thought she'd meet, like Oprah and Larry King, wanted to interview her.

"I got 100 calls for interviews the weekend after Sept. 11," Lisa says. "Every time I retold the story, I relived it. I was sitting on that plane next to Todd."

The emotional stress was overwhelming. The 15 minutes she'd spent talking to Todd, who became legendary for exclaiming, "Let's roll," before launching an attack on the hijackers, replayed over and over again in her head. She constantly wondered why God chose her to talk with Todd on that day. While other passengers called friends or loved ones, Todd dialed the operator.

During their conversation, Todd shared intimate details about his life and family. He explained that he didn't call home because his wife, also named Lisa, was expecting their third child and he didn't want to upset her. "He asked me to recite the Lord's Prayer with him," Lisa remembers. "Then he made me promise that I'd call his wife to tell her he loved her."

It was a promise Lisa did not want to keep. "I wanted so badly for Todd to make it," Lisa admits. "Even though I only talked with him for 15 minutes, he was a dear friend."

Like all of us, Lisa mourned for the lives that were lost on Sept. 11. But she was surprised at how deep the pain went. She was angry at the terrorists, overwhelmed by the media attention, and felt completely empty.

Admittedly, Lisa needed help, so she started going to therapy. After about a year, she finally realized that it wasn't a coincidence that Todd's phone call was routed to her. "God orchestrated that," Lisa says. "I prayed with Todd. I know that gave him peace."

Five years later, Lisa still thinks about Todd on a daily basis. Terrorism is never far from her mind. And she copes with her fears and lingering sadness by relying on God and having faith that He's still in control. "I know God is always with me," she says. "He was there when I talked with Todd. And I know He was with Todd on that plane."

Lisa details her journey since 9/11 in the new book Called: "Hello, This Is Mrs. Jefferson. I Understand Your Plane Is Being Hijacked" (Moody). She wrote the book to honor those on Flight 93 and to remind Christians to make themselves available to serve God in even the most unexpected roles. "God has an assignment for each of us that only we can fulfill," she says. "I wasn't prepared for my task on 9/11. But when God called, I went out on faith. I'm going to be ready the next time He calls on me."

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