Hot Air Balloons

Yesterday, while running the Kid’s Carnival at Spedie Fest, I escaped for a few minutes to grab a bite to eat and try to find some sanity. It happened to be during the time they were getting ready to launch all of the hot air balloons. I sat in awe as lighthouses and ladybugs were blown up a mere 50 feet from where I was sitting. As I sat there the Lord started to show me that we are a lot like those hot air balloons. I love how He gives me illustrations when He’s trying to drive a point home!

Like the balloons we are created with all the potential we will ever have in the Lord. Everything we need to serve Him. We are born with it. “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Eph. 2:10 But it’s up to us how much we will allow the Lord to fill us with His presence. The Ladybug balloon in particular, was having a bit of trouble getting off the ground because she wasn’t filled with enough helium.

How often am I like that? Filled with just enough of the Lord to skim the treetops, but not enough to really soar? It’s good at the tree line, but there can be a lot of snags and the view from the clouds is so much better! So why do we not soar?

We don’t soar cause it’s painful to get there! The Lord has to cleanse the “me” out us first! (or at least the me out of me!) In order for a balloon to lift off the ground an intense fire in the bottom of the balloon heats up the helium. Without enough heat and air it won’t get very far off the ground.

How much is that like the refining fire of the Lord in our lives? He takes out and burns up the junk (and even the good) in life to make room for the best.

How high are we willing to soar? Are we barely getting of the ground or still in our boxes? Although I can complain and whine in that refining fire, I do want to see the view from the clouds and be used and filled to the potential God created me to be!

May we all “… be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Eph 4:19 And soar in whatever weird shape He created us!