Ballons Pop

       Balloons!  The joy and laughter that can fill a child at the sight of balloons is remarkable!  Big ones, small one's, ones shaped like hats, hearts, ninja turtles, swords, water filled balloons, or the simple round balloon!  A couple weeks ago had the opportunity to go with my kids to see "Mr. Twister:  The Balloon Guy!"  Leaving the show with a balloon hat brought joy and excitement to all five of my kids that within 60 seconds came crumbling down for one of them.  As Ty, my three year old, was walking back to the van filled with joy and excitement playing with his balloon hat he accidentally rubbed it agains the brick exterior of the building and POP!  Every parent knows what is coming next...  Yep, the tears!  The passionate tears of sadness and disappointment combined with a three year old who was quickly approaching his nap time resulted in a couple minutes of an inconsolable little boy whose balloon popped.  While life eventually moved on and his balloon was eventually forgotten about and the rest of the balloons popped, deflated, or were simply forgotten about as they moved onto the next big thing I was struck with the thought of how foolish it is to put one's hope and joy in a balloon.  They are fickle, they are temporary, they face numerous dangers, and they are guaranteed to not last forever.  They pop, they deflate, they can float off into the sky when the string slips through a child's hand, they are popped or destroyed by others.  It is foolish to put our hope and joy in balloons but I wonder how many balloons you and I put our hope and joy in.  Not literal balloons, but none the less things that like balloons prove to be temporary, fickle, guaranteed not to last, are surrounded by numerous dangers, any one of which could make them go "POP" and so goes our hope and joy.  

       What is your hope and joy in today?  What is my hope and joy in today?  It is futile to put our hope and joy in balloons.  So let's stop doing that.  Instead let's fix our hope and joy on Jesus Christ alone.  Our only Hope.  Our Only Joy.  Our Only Guaranteed to never die HOPE and JOY that we have is in Jesus Christ.  Praying the prayer that Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus for you and me.... Ephesians 1:18, "Having your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the HOPE to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great."  Balloons pop-  Let's stop putting our hope and joy in them.