Daily Devotional

The first time I flew by myself was almost disastrous.

I was just shy of 15 years old, flying from my home in Dallas to Erie, PA, where I’d catch a ride to a Christian boys’ leadership training camp in upstate New York. I’d flown many times before, but never by myself. I remember the mixed feelings of pride in my traveling abilities, excitement for my solo adventure, and anxiety about all the steps to get to my destination. There’s a lot of things to deal with when you’re flying by yourself.

At first, everything went smoothly. I dropped my bag at check-in, said goodbye to my parents, navigated through security, found my gate, and did a pre-plane pit stop at the nearest restroom. Sitting at my gate waiting to board, I went to double-check my seat number on my boarding pass and froze. My pocket was empty. No boarding pass. More importantly, no US passport card that I was using as my ID.

I refused to panic. In a flash of inspiration, I remembered setting my ID and boarding pass down when I had used the bathroom, about 20 minutes prior. They’re probably still there. I walked briskly to the bathroom and found the stall I had just used. Slamming open the door (the stall was, thankfully, unoccupied), I looked in the spot where I remembered placing my documents… and froze for the second time that day. They were gone. I hurriedly checked the rest of the bathroom, but my missing boarding pass and ID were nowhere to be found.

Now my brain exploded with panic. Who could have taken my stuff? How will I get on the plane? What happens if my identity gets stolen? How will I explain this to my parents? And on my first time flying by myself, too! In a daze, I slowly wandered out of the bathroom and back into the terminal, unsure what to do next. My prayers in that moment were exceptionally brief: “HELPPPP!”

In my dazed and confused state, I thought I heard my name. I paused to listen and heard an announcement come over the PA system: “Passenger Mark Tremaine, please report to gate ***.” When I got to the gate, the attendant handed me my boarding pass and ID with a slight smile. “Someone turned these in for you.” I mumbled a “thank you” and sat back down, awash in relief and more than a little embarrassment.

Some kind stranger must have found my documents in that stall, read the gate number on my boarding pass, and turned them there. To this day, I wonder if it was really the work of an angel. (Evidently, no one had found my documents in the twenty minutes I was waiting at the gate, but the documents managed to make it from the bathroom to the gate in the five minutes I spent looking for them.) In either case, I remember being overwhelmed by the realization that God was watching out for me.

The Bible abounds with verses about our sovereign God’s ability to help us in the midst of our troubles. He is our “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Because God is at my right hand, I will not be shaken (Psalm 16:8). For those who love him, “all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28).

Does this mean that God will miraculously deliver us from every problem? No. God answered my prayer for help finding my documents, but did not miraculously intervene an hour later when a bad round of turbulence made me vomit my guts out. (I still get queasy during landings ten years later.) What God does promise is no matter what we face, He is with us. The Good Shepherd doesn’t keep the sheep from traveling through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4), but His presence, His protection, keeps the sheep from fear. I hope these verses and the story of God’s protection of a clumsy 14-year-old can encourage you with whatever you are facing.

"English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers."