Yesterday after church, Curtis, Jackson and I had a yummy lunch at Luby’s Cafeteria with all the other church-going folks on this side of town. As we were leaving, Jackson was given a big red balloon on a string. It was his joy and his delight. Let me just say that his joy and delight are fragile things. Having seen this particular joy swept away in the wind too many times before, I tied the balloon onto his clothes to keep him from losing it. Of course he had a fit about that. My banoon, Mommy! My banoon! He wanted all the control in his sweaty little hand! To my very great surprise, the balloon actually survived the trip home. It was still intact this morning and he enjoyed several more hours with it. He loved it so much. I cringed though, seeing my son get all of this happiness from something so fragile and temporary. It would only be a matter of time before it popped or sprung a leak out of nowhere. Then I’d have a sad, sad boy on my hands.
I think God must look at me in the same way when I’m trying to get my joy and happiness out of earthly things. I wonder if He thinks, Oh, baby girl, that is so temporary. It’s already got a leak in it – you just can’t see it yet. Find your joy in me! I’m everlasting! My unfailing love it what your heart truly seeks.
So today I’ll remember that my beautiful white house, compliments I may get because of this or that, my cute new maternity clothes, the holiday atmosphere that will soon surround us – all of these things I like and love so much – are about as safe for my heart to depend on as a simple latex balloon. These things add color and festivity to my life, but they are not sturdy enough to support my soul. There’s only One who is, and He’s more than willing to do it for me! He wants to! Thank You, Lord!
What a man desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar. (Proverbs 19:22)
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption. (Psalm 130:5-7)
But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love. (Psalm 33:18)
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you. (Psalm 33:21-22)
Tags: Jackson
Thank you so much for writing that. I needed to hear it so badly.
Amy
Oh Amen and Amen Amanda. Psalm 130 is so my favorite.
WOW. I needed that “down to earth” exhortation. Thanks!!! Blessings (and those are the cutest baby boots I’ve EVER seen!) 😉
Dear Niesta Amanda,
That, my dear, was beautiful. My soul hungers for exhortation such as that. It’s so easy to get caught up in the temporary and lose sight of what’s really of lasting importance. Oh, the tyranny of the urgent! Slow down, open your eyes, take a deep breathe, and live like we’re here on purpose with eternal hope.
That’s my prayer.
Well said…beautiful even. Thank you!
With tears streaming I say, Yes Lord!
Thanks Amanda–I have a “banoon” that Satan delights in as a stronghold in my life from time to time. I needed to hear this today.
Amanda, what a wonderful post. I loved it and see how I act like my children more than I care to admit. A great perspective with the holidays upon us.
thanks for sharing such sweet reminders Amanda, good word.
tammy
What a word, what a word.
Oh, to move my eyes from the flashy “banoons” onto the Foundation of my soul.
That’s a good word.
I love when God speaks to me in the seemingly mundane…like red banoons…or through my mothers heart when for the billionth time I correct my quickly growing brood and am reminded how often the Good Lord must be shaking His head at me, saying, “Oh precious Daughter, when will you see the light…how long will you wait until you run to me?”
Thank you Lord for Grace and for never leaving me…may I always run to you.
April
You know I woke with a song in my heart with these words: “Father, forever faithful and keeping your covenant of love. You have never forsaken your people or betrayed our trust. You are faithful and true and just to say I love you is not enough. I say I love you I will do what you say, I will obey you and surrender all. If I say I’m your friend, I will keep your commands. I will obey you and surrender all.” It’s from our friends the Foote’s.
And when I read about your Jackson’s balloon, I think, “Lord, you alone are faithful and holy. You are worthy and able to hold the full weight of me and my concerns this season.”
Thank you, Amanda. I have a lot of things weighing on my mind today–many of which concern red banoons.
Thanks for the good word Amanda! I needed that.
Thank you, sweet amnada. My heart has been so heavy on this very topic for the past month or so. Thank you for this reminder!!
Amanda, what a precious lesson for us to hear. I hope you have a joyous reunion with your mom.
I returned yesterday from the Breaking Free taping.Psalm 34:5 says, “Those who look to him are radiant;their faces are never covered with shame.” I miss those radiant faces in that sanctuary.
It was a wonderful experience that revived a longing to know and love Him more.
On a lighter note, what a hoot to stay with friends in a hotel and have someone come out of the bathroom and yell, “I win!” Thanks Jackson!
How thankful I am for a Joy and a Hope that will never disappoint!
I love the analogy. I must remember this as my husband and i go through some financial setbacks due to the econmy. Jesus, be my all and all and all!
The emptyings are what it is all about.
This earth as we know it is soon to be no more…for His Kingdom reign is getting ready to be manifested in the earth.
This world has lost all its luster/glamor to me. I want His Kingdom to be manifested in the earth so that all of creation will be set free.
Truly we are watching Babylon fall right before our eyes.
Come quickly Yahshua!
Shalom dear ones.
What a great lesson inpired by a red “banoon.” Thanks for sharing, Amanda!
This ministers to me so much. This is exactly the place where I have been for awhile with God. Only He can satisfy. Not a home of my own, or a new car or clothes or even money in the bank..only He can satisfy and He alone is our security!
Thank you for writing this!!
Love,
Patty
Isn’t it amazing how God gives us just waht w need when we need it. Today I was in need of the comments written. I know that my God is faithful. Thanks for letting God use you in such a powerful way. Blessings to you and your family.
thank you amanda. simple truth. lesson taught many times but not yet fully learned. i’m so easily bogged down by temporary things. thank you so so much for letting God use you to remind me of this.
I really enjoyed this post, Amanda! So true!!!
Beautiful Post!
Beautiful Amanda! Just beautiful….
steph.
oh thank you for that analogy….
I’m so glad your momma’s home safely! It was truly an honor to pray for her each day.
Funny about the banoon…I was just commenting about those earthly things to my sister this morning. She is in a panic over the economy which is easy to do if you own a tv!
I’ll be sad tomorrow night to end our Lit study with your hubby. I’ve learned a lot, and I’m trying to put it to good use.
Thanks for always putting things out to us so clearly.
I adore the blog!
ann
Thanks Amanda. Great reminder.
Dear Sweet Amanda,
A wonderful blog, a wonderful analogy. And the timing for such encouragement could not be better. I am going to look to make sure all that I treasure is real and not just “banoons” today. May God bless your daughter with her mother’s gentle heart. You are a blessing. Shalom
What a beautiful illustration our sweet Siesta. Thank you for that. In the last week it’s really been pressed upon my heart that we need to keep God as our focus in anything and everything. Even the people that are in our lives are because He wants them there. What a promise He has made for us. So with that, thank you for allowing God to use you in so many lives. You’re such a blessing!
Amanda,
That was great! I love it when God will uses something in everyday life, such as a balloon, to speak to us! I recently spoke on this topic myself. I refered back to Isaiah 55 which we read in Breaking Free, and it has been a fave of mine! I also read Ecclesiastes, and your story of the balloon reminds me of this…
A Chasing After the Wind!
Have a good week!
oh yea, love the boots! and I’m glad your getting your Mom/Bibby back!
Amanda,
God has been so faithful to me today to speak such profound truths from His Word through things friends have written! You are one of those friends!
Praying for God to just heap His blessing on your home today!
Blessings,
Dori
Wow! did I need to hear that as I am wrestling with our Christmas budget – great Word! great perspective to keep as we go into the holidays!
Thanks for sharing these wonderful thoughts with us today! Blessings to all of you!
Dana
** Those boots are too, too cute!!
Well said…
Thanks Amanda for sharing your insights with us. I am always encouraged as I read this blog.
Sandra 🙂
I’m in a women’s Bible study and we are doing Stepping Up, the Psalms of Ascent study and that very Psalm (130) was in our study this week!
Thank you for your post! I don’t want to put my hope or happiness into “latex balloons”!
thank you for this. it’s a word i’ve gotten a lot lately…you’d think i would have learned to listen the first time.
i’m still amazed at how faithful He is, and how He goes out of His way to pursue me in the sweetest of ways. He is IT.
So well said I wish I had said myself!
Just last night, we finished our last session of Stepping Up and had our celebration dinner. 30 ladies from 3 different classes attended. What an awesome blessing to hear each one say how the Psalms of Ascent and the Bible study in general affected them. Many tears have been shed, much laughter shared these past 7 weeks with my sisters in Christ. As awesome as friendship, fellowship and can i even say ‘family’ love is, I need the constant reminder that I need to first and foremost seek my ‘love-needs’ from God. A timely word. Thank you Amanda.
I think that said something to all of us, whether we are going through a rough patch or not. Thank you so much for sharing!
the profound lessons found in motherhood…thanks for sharing with this a non-mom! love you so much!
Isn’t it funny how God uses kids and pets to teach us such ‘so THAT’S what I’m like’ lessons? When we first adopted our dog Zuzu from the local humane society, she was a wee bit skittish of her new environment. She trusted us implicitly, it seemed, and bonded quickly to us. But when we would take her for walks, she would jump and cower at each fall leaf that would skitter across the sidewalk in front of her. As I heard myself telling her that it was just a leaf blowing in the wind – a silly thing to be afraid of – my Heavenly Father gently reminded me that so much of the time I myself jump and cower at what He can clearly see are just leaves blowing in the wind. Aren’t we thankful that not only is He our Father and our Friend but He is our Teacher too! Thank you for sharing the wonderful banoon lesson with us! 🙂
Amen!! Wow, He is our solid ground. Bless Him!
Wow, Amanda, what a source of insipration you are to see things this powerful in the simple nature of something earthly. You and your whole family are nothing short of a power house for the Lord. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with this moment.
Looking forward to LIT class tomorrow night to see what nuggets your sweet and blessed husband Curtis will be providing us.
Many, many blessings and lots of love.
Christine Roskamp
Houston Siesta :o)
Oh, little boys and their “banoons”! I have a two year old that is crazy about them, too 🙂
Thanks for the insightful words, Amanda!
Looking to Him for happyness,
Kate 🙂
Amanda, having raised two boys, I can well remember little boys and their balloons so that was a great analogy, not to mention you quoted one of my favorite verses, Psalm 33:22. BTW the diva boots are too cute!
Beth, as you return home for some much needed and well earned rest, I’m praying from Psalm 91:1 that you will dwell in the secret place of the Most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Much love to all of you,
Patti Hayes
Amanda, thank you. This is so timely. My husband lost his job on Friday, very unexpectedly, as did a third of his coworkers. We’re completely leaning on God with everything we’ve got. It’s no accident that right before I found out, I was at Bible study, listening to your mom teach on “When God Demands Your All for Victory.” We’re giving Him our all and believing Him for a HUGE victory, for ourselves and everyone else in our situation.
We’re off to hear a speaker at our church tonight on “Faith During TImes of Transition” — if this isn’t a transition time in our nation, and in my immediate family, I don’t know what is! I needed to be reminded of how temporal earthly things are.
Blessings,
Lisa
Oh, Amanda. . . thanks so much for being so transparent and honest. I have struggled way too often with this very thing. Now, when tempted to that, I’ll have a picture in my head and heart to help me keep it in perspective. Oh, to cling to Jesus more and earthly things less! Good word for me today! Thanks for writing it down.
Janine
Yep, God is speaking. Amen and Amen, Amanda!
You should see what Dori wrote on the Siesta Fiesta Blog today for our Monday Devotional. Same thing. HE alone is our one thing!!!
He is so precious to me.
Melana in Wyoming