The Balloon

In a drawer in the family room, we have a bag of balloons. I could go and blow one up. Then I could tie it off. I almost flunked out of Boy Scouts because I can't tie knots. But a balloon I can tie. I let go of that inflated balloon. What happens? It falls to the floor. If I were to do the same with another balloon, what would happen? It also would fall to the floor. Every balloon I blow up would fall to the floor. When I was at rehab, Carmen the activity director came up to me. Carmen asked, "Are you a father?" "I am." Carmen gives me a balloon. The balloon says, "Happy Dad's Day!" Thank you, Carmen! But this balloon is different than the balloons that fall to the floor. This balloon is always pulling upward. My Sweetie tied it to the closet handle. But it got loose. The balloon went up to the ceiling. And drifted around, up on the ceiling. Why did that balloon go upward, when all the balloons I blow up fall to the floor. Because Carmen went to the store and had that balloon filled with helium. We're #1! Yes, the US leads the world in helium production! The balloon Carmen gave me is always pulling upward. In our Bible reading for this week, Jesus compares God's Kingdom to "leaven" (yeast.) You don't see the yeast in bread dough, but it's the yeast that makes the dough pull upward. You don't see the helium in a balloon. But it's the helium that pulls the balloon upward. When I got tired of hurting, I'd look at the balloon, pulling upward. The Spirit works, to pull my spirit up. When I'd get discouraged at how weak my injured leg was, I'd look at that balloon. The Spirit works, to pull my spirit up. One day at a time, one limp at a time...Yeast working. Helium working. Spirit working. You don't see them with your eyes. But they are there, pulling upwards.