Apr. 30
A Balloon
When my daughter was almost 3 years of age it took very little to entertain her curiosity or occupy her attention span. One night while dining at Fazolis she was given a free balloon and I can’t explain why this particular balloon became a prized possession, but it did. She named it and wouldn’t allow her younger brother near it. In a few short days, even with the helium leaking out of it, it was obvious a strong bond had developed between this inflatable wonder and my daughter. After a long day at work, I came home and was greeted with the usual excitement and pandemonium of a house filled with two small children. As dinner rolled around, I put my daughter in her chair and asked if I could move the balloon, which she was clutching, from the dining room into the family room. With her permission, I took hold of the string and gently pulled the balloon away from the kitchen table. As I did, it rubbed up against the textured ceiling and popped. In an instant, I went from being a superhero to a scoundrel who had crushed the dreams of his highchair bound daughter! Her bottom lip came out, a single, solitary tear rolled down her cheek. She was trying to be strong, but that was her best friend and I was the big jerk who had just destroyed it! Being the young dad that I was, I quickly scooped her up in my arms and I drove her to Toys R Us. An hour later, we walked out of kid heaven with a small kitchen and a 19 piece pot and pan ensemble that any gourmet chef would salivate over! In the end, a free balloon from Fazolis ended up costing me $30!
Jesus once said, “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? You wouldn’t think of such a thing! So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?” (Matthew 7:10 Message)
If you’ve ever had your balloon popped or the wind knocked out of you in this life, remember that Jesus specializes in giving back what we’ve lost or what’s been taken from us. Spend some time today thinking about what you really need from Jesus. Strength, courage, patience, perspective, wisdom, words, a good night’s rest, a friend you can trust, encouragement, peace of mind, freedom from fear or worry, forgiveness, purity…what do you need from Jesus? Identify it, then go to him with confidence and ask him to restore what is missing in your life. He will replace it with something better than what you had before because his grace is not cheap…