As we traveled home from Canada, I felt agitated. I was tired; my backpack felt heavy, and everyone talked too loud. All I wanted to do was find my seat on the plane, put in my headphones, and shut out the world for a few hours. But God had other plans. I ended up next to a mother with a sweet toddler. She apologized for his fussiness and said he would settle down once we took off. My agitation and fatigue melt away. I reassured her that he was not a problem at all. Prayerfully, the God of all comfort dropped a decades-old memory of traveling alone with our children into my heart. After smiling at Luca, I put in my headphones, calm myself with instrumental music, open up my Kindle app, and begin to read. Shortly after takeoff, as his mother said, my seatmate Luca fell asleep.
We had turbulence towards the end of the flight, and the mom freaked out. She immediately grabbed my hand and apologized. Seconds after letting go, another jolt caused her to reach for comfort again. I stroked her arm with my right hand while she maintained a death grip on my left. I silently prayed for her as she calmed her toddler. We held hands until the plane landed. It was a poignant reminder that God cares for us so that we can care for others.
Praise to the God of All Comfort
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NIV
I am grateful God soothed my travel-weary heart and gave me the presence of mind to pass on what I’d received from Him. As I recall this moment, my prayer is that she didn’t just experience the kindness of a stranger but that she felt the comforting presence of the Lord. Our Father’s compassion is powerful enough to bring us peace that surpasses understanding, allowing us to be His hands sharing His loving comfort without words.