Last week, I boarded a flight to Israel.
About halfway through the trip, I woke up to a text from a friend: “Israel just attacked Iran’s nuclear facility. The country is in a state of emergency, and we’re waiting for Iran’s retaliation.”
Still half-asleep, I didn’t grasp the weight of what she was saying. She added, “This is big. This time is different.” But in my mind, it was just a hiccup. A minor setback. Something I could figure out once I landed. Surely Iran’s response won’t be right away.
Then the pilot made the announcement: the Israeli airspace had been closed. We were turning around.
That’s when reality hit.
The disappointment was sharp. I’d been looking forward to this trip for months. It felt like the ground fell out from under me, like something precious had been ripped away.
The mood on the plane shifted. People started crying, cursing, and pacing the aisles. The atmosphere was chaotic and very heavy.
I turned to the woman next to me, and we started talking. She was in tears. She told me she was trying to get home to her three young children. She shared how, during a previous Iranian attack in October, her friend had been murdered while protecting her baby. She told me about the agonizing decision she and her husband had made to send their children out of Israel when the war broke out after 10/7.
She explained that she’s from the north, where Hezbollah is the main threat. By the end of 2023, Hezbollah had hundreds of thousands of rockets and was launching them into Israel regularly. The Iron Dome is incredible, she said, but it can be overwhelmed, and when that happens, it doesn’t work. This time, she fears, Iran has the capability to do just that. She described how her body has a physical reaction to news like this. She was afraid.
Our experiences didn’t compare.
I was disappointed about missing a trip. She was terrified for her children’s lives.
Suddenly, my disappointment felt… small. Silly. Tone deaf.
Despite everything she was facing, she told me she knew this had to be done. Israel, a country the size of New Jersey, is protecting the world. We owe them a massive thank you. Not only did Israel deal a major blow to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but it also destroyed facilities developing intercontinental missiles. If Iran were allowed to continue, those missiles would eventually be aimed at us. And we don’t have the Iron Dome. The consequences would be devastating.
Right now, Israel is the one paying the price, so pray for Israel.
Pray for wisdom, for protection, and for peace.
And don’t forget the Iranian people. They are victims too.
