Last summer, I took a flight with my dad to San Diego, California, where he dropped me off at a ten-day leadership class. It was a class designed to help you become a leader by realizing your and others’ potential, and I was taking it with my aunt. The plan was that at the end of the leadership class I would fly with her from California to Salt Lake City, and then from there I would fly by myself to Boise, Idaho, to meet my family on vacation. 

The idea of flying on my own was a big deal for me at the time. Because my father is an airline pilot, I would be flying stand-by—so I wouldn’t have a regular ticket and wouldn’t be listed as an unaccompanied minor. I had never done this completely on my own before, and usually depended on my parents to guide me through the airport and get us to the right gates. This was going to be the first time I would have to do it by myself.

As the ten days of the leadership class quickly came to an end, I found myself thinking more and more about flying by myself. I was worried about what might happen—would I miss my plane, or miss an announcement and get lost at the airport? My parents had given me tips over the phone on flying and going through security, and had let me know they would be monitoring the status of the flight from home. That helped, but I was still a little freaked out.

One night toward the end of the class I was so nervous about flying that I didn’t sleep very well. The next morning I woke up feeling tired and uncomfortable. I went about the class day as normal, but at one point during the morning, a wave of fear and nausea crept over me, making it hard to concentrate on what the instructors were saying.

That’s when I decided to handle the fear through prayer. I felt led by God to quietly get up and ask the teacher, who was sitting with the rest of the class, if I could talk to her outside. There, I explained to her how I was feeling and the fears I was having about my flight to Boise.

As we talked, I began to cry. It was a little bit embarrassing to sob in front of the teacher, but I let the tears come. It actually felt good. The teacher asked me if I wanted to call my parents, and I told her I did. So I sat outside, put my feet into one of the nearby swimming pools, and told my parents about how I was feeling. It felt so good to talk to them and absorb their reassuring voices with the cool breeze running through my hair and the water flowing between my toes. I began to relax and feel a sense of God’s care, almost like a comforting presence saying, “You’re OK; I’ve got you!”

At that moment I knew it was right for me to sit there and pray—to listen to what God had to say and what my parents were telling me. As I did, I started to calm down. I had a strong sense that God would be with me for the whole trip, guiding me. I began to see that I could never be separated from God—that regardless of my location, I couldn’t be isolated or made to feel alone. I had never been separated from God at any point on the trip to California, and at that moment I saw that flying alone wouldn’t separate me from Him either. 

I began to relax and feel a sense of God’s care, almost like a comforting presence saying, “You’re OK; I’ve got you!”

My parents assured me that they would be available by phone if I needed anything, and even offered to fly to California to meet me so I wouldn’t have to make the trip alone. As I kept praying, I felt more confident about flying solo, and I eventually told them they didn’t need to do that. As I hung up the phone, I thought to myself, “I’ll be OK.” For the rest of that day, I held on to the idea of my constant connection with God, and I felt much better and much calmer. This concept of being connected with God is found in the “Daily Prayer,” which always comforts me when I get scared and helps me know that God is with me (see Mary Baker Eddy, Church Manual, p. 41). 

The next two times I talked to my parents I felt better about my solo trip to Boise. My dad had said that the first flight from California to Salt Lake City that I would be taking with my aunt was only about an hour long and then the last flight from Salt Lake City to Boise that I would take by myself would only be 45 minutes.

After that, I felt more confident and relaxed about the rest of the trip. It also turned out to be a nice opportunity to apply what I had learned in the leadership class. The idea of realizing my potential was really helpful, and all the love I felt from the other students and the teachers was encouraging. At the end of class, I went to the airport with my aunt, continuing to lean on God’s guidance.

At the beginning of the first flight, I got briefly separated from my aunt while we were going through security—we were in separate lanes, the line was long, and she was asked to go through an extra baggage inspection. I was tempted to feel nervous again, thinking I’d miss my plane trying to find her. But as I turned again to God’s guidance, I knew I could express dominion. I walked to the gate and onto the plane, knowing I was being guided. There, I soon made contact with my aunt again. As it turned out, both legs of the flight went smoothly. I was so grateful for the sense of peace and calm I felt! It seemed like God was lighting my path the whole way, and I made the connection between planes in Salt Lake City with no trouble.

When I got to Boise, I was grateful to reunite with my family—and for an experience that taught me that God had been right there with me the whole time. Since this flight, I’ve felt more comfortable turning to God when I feel alone or nervous about a new experience.