Caught In Flight

Purple tee shirt, snug jeans and beautifully plump, with her hair pulled up in a messy bun, and loaded down with an oversized backpack, I spotted her tearing down the moving walkway in the Denver International Airport. 

Running at a competitive racer’s pace combined with the added forward motion of the walkway, she looked like a character from a Marvel action film on her way to save the world from imminent destruction. Of course, there in the airport, I could only assume she was extremely late for her flight. 

As I moved closer toward her on the walkway, but coming from the opposite direction, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. 

I was concerned. 

She was quickly heading toward the end of the people mover at a dangerous speed with apparently no intent of slowing down. I’ve seen many unfortunate spills when someone reaches that transition even while walking. I couldn’t imagine what would cause her to risk a bad fall while running at break-neck speed.  

That’s when I noticed him. 

A little boy no more than two and a half racing wildly down that same walkway was just ahead of her. He had obviously gotten away from his mama and was running at that incomprehensible toddler pace that takes you by surprise every time you experience it. 

Beating his frantically speeding mama to the finish line, he reached the end where moving walkway meets fixed pavement. 

Viewing this from the other side I felt helpless as his size two tennis shoe caught the edge and he was sent airborne, heading for a devastating face plant. 

And that’s when it happened. In that instant I witnessed one of the few, real life, super hero moments I have ever seen outside of a movie theater. Mama, never breaking her full speed stride, leapt over the transition catching her son in mid-air, inches from the ground, just in the nick of time. 

Phew!!!!

Out of relief I spontaneously broke into applause, shouting “What a good mama! That was amazing!” Breathless but smiling, she joyfully responded to me in a language I did not recognize. Although I don’t know exactly what she said, it was obvious she was grateful to have saved her son from a serious fall and to be acknowledged for her miraculous mama moment. 

Let me stop right here, right now, to acknowledge you, dear parents…grandparents…wonderful teachers, mentors and anyone choosing to be responsible for a precious little one. It is a sacrifice. Don’t let anyone tell you anything different. Yes of course you love them and of course you care, and the joy WILL outweigh the trials. But there will be moments where you will be carrying an enormous load of your own while chasing them down a moving walkway that you have no control over trying desperately to catch them while they are still airborne. 

Our Father in Heaven is the same way with us. He relentlessly pursues us when we run from Him. His loving desire is to catch us while we are still airborne. And when we do fall, (which we all do) His sacrifice on the cross is there to mend us from our fallen condition.

“Man is born broken. He lives by mending. The grace of God is the glue.”

-Eugene O’Neill

As you give and then give some more, as your desires and dreams are put on hold for the sake of your children, you will wonder when and how it will end. But it will all be worth it. They are worth it.

And as God’s child, you are worth it too.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

 -John 3:16