I was blessed to take a trip with my youngest child recently. She had never flown before and was a bit apprehensive, but I assured her that flying was fun.

Now, here is where I need to be completely honest. I’ve flown many times. Across countries and over oceans even. I do enjoy it, to an extent, but that first take-off rattles me every time. The anticipation makes me a bit sick to my stomach and my ears sometimes feel like they are going to explode. Once we’re off and in the air though, I settle in and relax.

On last week’s flight, as we began to take off, my daughter grabbed my arm and looked my way with panic in her eyes. The buzzing of the engine on the small plane was louder than I remembered. Once we made it into the air, the turbulence rocked that plane back and forth and it sounded like something fell off the wall in the small bathroom behind us. Still, I smiled with waning fear and told her that everything was going to be OK.

When we approached the next airport to land and the pilot extended the plane’s flaps and reduced speed, the plane groaned and felt as if it would stop in mid air. Again, my young teen jerked her head in my direction and again, I responded with, “It’s all good.” She smiled and nodded and her fears faded.

I thought about this and guilt swept over me as I thought of my fourth child. A few years ago, he flew to New Jersey to visit family alone. Since then, he hates to fly. I wonder if it’s because he had no one sitting next to him assuring him that everything would be OK. Would a smile and gentle reminder that everything was fine have squelched his fear?

There are so many people going through hard times. Times that you have already made it through. All they need to survive is for you to smile, hold their hand, and assure them that everything will be OK. With God in view and Christ in you, there is nothing you can’t handle.

Sit with someone going through a difficult season and reassure them that this life may be dangerous but, with God, it is definitely doable. Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 NIV).

–by Paula Harrington @ www.forthright.net