Little Girl Teaches Man a Lesson When Their Plane Hits Strong Turbulence – Story of the Day

A man who hates flying learns a lesson in faith and trust from a sweet little girl when the plane they are flying in hits turbulence.

Jonathan Blake was nervous. Whenever possible he always traveled by car, or by train, but this time he just couldn't get around it. He had to fly.

He had to be in Denver in time for the holidays, and unless he overcame his fear of flying he wouldn't be there for his little daughter's first Christmas. So Jonathan booked himself on a flight and started praying the moment he buckled his seatbelt.

He had been assigned a window seat, and he gazed out of the window at the runway. What if there was a storm. Jonathan knew that a storm could sweep a plane out of the sky, like a giant swatting a fly...

He was working himself and his imagination into a panic when the smiling flight attendant brought over a tiny girl clutching a teddy bear and sat her next to Jonathan.

"This is Hilary," she said. "Hilary is flying for the first time, and all on her own. She's a big girl."

Hilary gave Jonathan a big smile, showing that she was missing her front teeth. "I'm alone," she said, holding up her teddy bear. "Fun-fun is with me."

The flight attendant clipped on Hilary's seat belt and her hair. "Yes! You're very lucky! Now, Hilary, if you need anything you press this button and I'll come over, OK?

Hilary wriggled in her seat and swung her short legs. "OK! But don't worry, my dad explained everything."

The flight attendant laughed. "I'm sure he did!"

The flight attendant walked off and Jonathan decided to distract himself by talking to the child. "Hello," he said. "My name is Jonathan. I have a little girl too."

Hilary turned to stare up at him. "You do? How big is she?"

"Well, she's just one year old now, so she's still a lot smaller than you."

Hilary's faith in her father left no room for doubts or fears, so she felt safe.

Hilary sighed. "They're a pain...They just cry and poop their diapers... I have a little sister now."

Jonathan grinned despite himself. "Yes, I'm afraid you're right, but she'll be more fun later on!"

Hilary looked doubtful. "Maybe...Hey! Do you like flying?"

Jonathan winced. "Not really..."

Hilary bounced in her seat gleefully. "My dad LOVES flying!"

"Good for him..." Jonathan said, just as the plane taxied down the runway and took off.

"WHEEE!!!" cried Hilary happily, "We're flying!"

Jonathan was starting to regret talking to the child. Now he'd have to listen to her the whole four hours to Denver.

"We are going to be up, up, up...10,000 feet! That's 3 kilometers my dad said."

"Really?" Jonathan was starting to feel queasy.

"Yes! And did you know that what keeps planes flying is the air? It flows over the wing, and then..."

And then the plane hit an air-pocket and Jonathan felt his stomach rise. Some of the other passengers screamed, then there was another swooping bump and another.

"Turbulence..." Jonathan gasped, "I hate turbulence..." He grasped the armrests with all his strength and started sweating with fear.

A calm soothing voice intruded over the loudspeakers: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain. We've hit a patch of turbulence, so we're in for a bumpy ride. Please keep your seatbelts on and stay in your seats."

Bumpy was an understatement, Jonathan thought, He'd had smoother rollercoaster rides. All around him, he heard sobs and prayers and the occasional shriek, but little Hilary sat calmly playing with her teddy bear.

Finally, the ordeal was over! Calm returned to the cabin, and the flight attendants moved down the aisles, dispensing drinks and smiles. "Weren't you scared?" Jonathan asked the child, curiously.

Hilary frowned at him bewildered. "Why would I be scared?"

"The bumps...The turbulence didn't scare you?"

Hilary giggled. "No, silly! Of course not. You see, my daddy is flying the plane, so I know I'm safe. He's taking me home!"

Jonathan smiled back at Hilary. He was moved by her faith in her father, then the thought occurred to him that he too should have felt equally safe. He was in God's hands and there's no safer place to be.

What can we learn from this story?

1. Faith drives out fear. Hilary's faith in her father left no room for doubts or fears, so she felt safe.

2. Trust in God, as a child trusts in her father. Jonathan's encounter with Hilary reminded him of his neglected faith and taught him to trust again.

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Any resemblance in this story to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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