By Harry Watts

I noticed the man sitting alone before I even reached my seat.
Travelers filed down the aisle in the usual hurry, eyes fixed on their tickets, their luggage, or the glowing rectangles in their hands. No one looked at him for long. Two seats beside him stayed empty, though the plane was nearly full.

There was nothing particularly frightening about him—just something closed off. His clothes were rumpled, his expression hard, and his posture said, leave me be.

Once everyone was seated and the engines began their low hum, I glanced his way again. He was staring out the window, jaw tight. Then suddenly, his face twisted in pain. His hand flew to his chest, and his body jerked forward as if struck.

The flight attendant saw it too and rushed over.
“Sir? Sir, are you all right?”

The man shook his head, breath ragged. When the attendant tried to steady him, he pushed her hand away.

She turned to the passengers, voice rising. “Is there a doctor on board?”

No one answered. The air felt heavy, everyone frozen in their seats.

That’s when I saw her.

A girl—no more than ten—stood up near the front of the plane. She wore a white blouse and skirt, her blonde hair tied neatly in a ponytail. Without hesitation, she walked down the aisle, calm and certain, as though she knew exactly what to do.

No one stopped her. The plane was silent except for the drone of the engines and the man’s labored breathing.

The girl knelt beside him, looking up at his face with quiet compassion. She reached out a small hand and placed it over his chest. The man didn’t resist. He just stared at her, confusion flickering across his pain.

And then, like a switch being turned off, his breathing steadied. His shoulders relaxed. The color returned to his face.

The stewardess stood speechless.
So did the rest of us.

When the plane landed, the man walked off under his own strength, clutching his carry-on like nothing had happened. The girl was met by curious eyes and hesitant questions.

One woman finally asked, “How did you do that, sweetheart?”

The girl looked thoughtful for a moment, as if trying to find the right words.
“I don’t know,” she said softly. “I just wanted to help him. And then I heard a voice tell me to go and touch his chest.”

She paused, her blue eyes clear and steady.
“I knew it was God. So I did what He told me to do.”

And that was all she said.

• A Bag by His Bed
• A Light in the Shadows
• A Tale of Two Caterpillars
• Behold the Lamb
• Branches of Memory: A Tale of Friendship and Loss
• Can You Forgive Me?
• Even When I Forget
• Fastest Gun Alive
• God in Modernity
• Going Home
• Guilt and Grace
• Home
• I Guess We’ll See
• Journey of Faith
• Not Today
• One Last Word
• The Choice
• The Encounter
• The Girl on the Plane
• The Healing Touch
• The Innkeeper
• The Journey Home
• The Last Goodbye
• The Last Sunset
• THE LESSON OF THE HUNT
• The Redeemer
• The Sniper
• The Weight of Light
• The Weight of One Bullet