It had been a long flight to Dubai, the first leg of our journey to Thailand. Only 6 hours into our 15 hour flight, my 3 year old Charlotte was jolted out of her sleep during a stretch of heavy turbulence and began vomiting... all over herself, all over me, and all over the seats surrounding us. As I consoled and cleaned up a very upset little girl in the tiny airplane bathroom, I prayed that this was not a stomach virus that would spread to myself or my other traveling companions - my mother and one year old daughter.
Fortunately, our flight crew was prompt in sanitizing our seats, and I had come prepared with clean changes of clothes for both of us. The sickness continued for a while, but we were pleased to realize it was directly related to the air turbulence, and the rest of us continued to feel well (despite getting zero sleep on the entire flight!)
Needless to say, by the time we arrived at our Middle East destination, we were exhausted and ready to go straight to our hotel where we could shower and sleep for a few hours before our next travel leg. As we stepped off the airplane into the world's busiest international airport, the thought struck me that I should have prepared my toddler for the different languages and attire she would be surrounded by. Though usually well-meaning, toddlers tend to say anything on their mind [mine has been known to loudly ask, "Mom, is that a BOY or GIRL??" with regards to a grocery store clerk in the checkout line...], and I prayed that she wouldn't make any [innocent] offensive comments as we stepped into the most diverse crowd she's ever seen.
It didn't take long for this observant little girl to look around and realize the differences surrounding her. "LOOK Momma!" she said loudly, as we approached a crowd of burka-clad women.
I held my breath. It was too late to prevent whatever she was going to say next...
...But the words that came out of her mouth nearly stopped me in my tracks.
"Look at ALL of the princesses! They are BEAUTIFUL Mom!"
Here I had been worried about how I would answer her questions and correct any potentially offensive statements that she might make. But her heart only saw beauty. She never asked why these women were covered head to toe or why they looked different than most of the women she knows. (Though she did say, "Listen Momma! They are speaking Spanish!!" Haha, at least she attempted to identify with a foreign language)
Ten hours later, after we were freshly showered, fed, and rested, we stood at the gate to our next flight. It was late at night, and the airport was quiet -- but not because there weren't many people. There were actually hundreds of people surrounding us, waiting to board the plane, but the airport is a "Silent airport," which means there are no overhead announcements. Additionally, in a culture of more subdued conversations and quiet tones, it was a very peaceful experience. Surrounded by quiet conversations and people patiently waiting to board the flight, I heard a little voice softly singing.
I looked down at Charlotte, who was wide-eyed and turning slowly in circles, looking at the people around her. "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world...." She sang softly over and over.
It was a beautiful moment I will never forget, a still small reminder of the way God sees his world-- through eyes of love. He sees beauty in our unique differences, and He loves the diversity that he has created. This holiday season and always, may we see the world as through the innocent eyes of a child - capturing the beauty around us and seeing the value in every person we meet!
Fortunately, our flight crew was prompt in sanitizing our seats, and I had come prepared with clean changes of clothes for both of us. The sickness continued for a while, but we were pleased to realize it was directly related to the air turbulence, and the rest of us continued to feel well (despite getting zero sleep on the entire flight!)
Needless to say, by the time we arrived at our Middle East destination, we were exhausted and ready to go straight to our hotel where we could shower and sleep for a few hours before our next travel leg. As we stepped off the airplane into the world's busiest international airport, the thought struck me that I should have prepared my toddler for the different languages and attire she would be surrounded by. Though usually well-meaning, toddlers tend to say anything on their mind [mine has been known to loudly ask, "Mom, is that a BOY or GIRL??" with regards to a grocery store clerk in the checkout line...], and I prayed that she wouldn't make any [innocent] offensive comments as we stepped into the most diverse crowd she's ever seen.
It didn't take long for this observant little girl to look around and realize the differences surrounding her. "LOOK Momma!" she said loudly, as we approached a crowd of burka-clad women.
I held my breath. It was too late to prevent whatever she was going to say next...
...But the words that came out of her mouth nearly stopped me in my tracks.
"Look at ALL of the princesses! They are BEAUTIFUL Mom!"
Here I had been worried about how I would answer her questions and correct any potentially offensive statements that she might make. But her heart only saw beauty. She never asked why these women were covered head to toe or why they looked different than most of the women she knows. (Though she did say, "Listen Momma! They are speaking Spanish!!" Haha, at least she attempted to identify with a foreign language)
Ten hours later, after we were freshly showered, fed, and rested, we stood at the gate to our next flight. It was late at night, and the airport was quiet -- but not because there weren't many people. There were actually hundreds of people surrounding us, waiting to board the plane, but the airport is a "Silent airport," which means there are no overhead announcements. Additionally, in a culture of more subdued conversations and quiet tones, it was a very peaceful experience. Surrounded by quiet conversations and people patiently waiting to board the flight, I heard a little voice softly singing.
I looked down at Charlotte, who was wide-eyed and turning slowly in circles, looking at the people around her. "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world...." She sang softly over and over.
It was a beautiful moment I will never forget, a still small reminder of the way God sees his world-- through eyes of love. He sees beauty in our unique differences, and He loves the diversity that he has created. This holiday season and always, may we see the world as through the innocent eyes of a child - capturing the beauty around us and seeing the value in every person we meet!
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