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
Don’t you just love kids? They’re great teachers 🙂
wow, you have no idea how much this speaks directly to my situation right now! even with the specific choice of words. ive been so worried since i found out i have a leaking heart valve, and one of your sentences said leak and heart. you reminded me to just focus on Him and His love cause thats what matters. what a God thing:) thank you SO MUCH for writing it!!
I think you just hit a big ol’ nerve. I needed this just now. Right now. RIGHT now. Thanks, Amanda.
So beautifully said, Amanda. You remind me of your mother.
Great example, Amanda. I’d never thought of it in that way before. So many times I had to talk to my youngest about her despair over a balloon popping or deflating. I love the analogy of comparing the balloon to the temporal things of this world. Thanks for the great object lesson. 🙂
Oh, Amanda you spoke right to my soul with your words of encouragement! I am new to LPM and I look forawrd to checking it everyday! Today, that is exactly what the Lord wanted me to hear! Thank you for being so bold with the gospel. May God bless your ministry.
Thank you so much for the verses and the story. I needed that today. as we face the potential job loss I needed this!
i love it when God comes through so loud and clear. Thank you for sharing, this is a perfect bit of wisdom, especially this time of year! Love you bunches,
Judy
Isnt’ this the truth, Amanda. Wonderful thoughts, important to remember and ponder. Please continue to bring these kind of thoughts to this blog. Thank you for you.
Love, Allison
The thing that I love the most about the blog is that my reading and parenting from Feather’s from my Nest was a huge part of my children’s youthful years and now I get to see the two girls featured in that book grown up. It absolutely does my “Mother’s Heart” for her children good to know that Melissa and Amanda are these two eloquent, God-loving individuals and that I can hope and pray for that for my children too. God is good all the time!
Amanda,
Thanks so much for this. It is so true. We all need to hear this in this difficult world of ours.
I have printed it out and will share it on Wednesday with my Bible Study ladies. We are almost finished with Stepping Up and are looking forward to starting Esther at the beginning of the new year.
Have a blessed week.
Forever His,
Lawan Rivera
Phil 4:8
Illustrations drawn from your child. Sweet, spiritual insights. You are your Mother’s daughter.
Yiipppeee!
Amanda,
Thank you so much for sharing. Your story and insight are a blessing.
Cathy
Oh, Amanda! What a beautiful and lovely post. So, so, well said.
Thank you,
Mindy
What a great metaphor. I needed that message today (well, actually everyday). I pray your mom has made it home safely and you will all enjoy some much needed family time! Thank you ALL for ALL you do!
Sacha
Thanks for posting this! it’s so true and the church needs to hear this more. We seem to depend an awful lot on the external things of this world. I was just challenged this week at my local kingdom community regarding this. My senior elder said “what did you get your strength from this week? Where did you get your joy from?” It was a huge heart check!
Thank you for sharing. I, too, needed to hear that today. I know God is saying to me, “Baby doll I’ve got something so much better in mind,” about a situation! Thank you for reminding me this is only temporary.
Oh, Amanda, thanks for a reminder about the permanent and the temporary. It’s so easy for me to confuse the temporary for something much more important.
Ohh, and those boots? They are just too precious. I just love buying girl stuff!
thank you Amanda,
so needed to hear this as I have been feeling a bit down about some things and realized they are not my foundation…God is..and that is just the comfort I needed among some challenges of late. Thank you my sweet one.
Oh Amanda, this is very encouraging to me…To attach our joy to anything other than Him will always end up being dissappointing at best, destructive at worst. YES, His unfailing love is what we should seek!! It’s just that-unfailing:) When I feel like I’m beg. to look for that kind of love in things or people, I know it’s not where my mind should be going! It’s esp. easy to look for what you only can find in Him in a spouse too, or children, or people you admire…Prov. 19:22, have never noticed that verse before enough to realize that profoundness:) May His love rest on us, as we put our hope in HIM-beautiful:) I love that. I want to have a godly fear of Him, and a full trusting in Him. Only when I’m sticking close to Him, letting Him be my everything, am I ever truly joyful…gotta love HIM!:)
katiegfromtennessee
Ps. 16:8, Ps. 121:5, Ps. 139:10, Isaiah 41:10, 13
so simply and beautifully put! thank you! =)
Thank you for this post Amanda —- a needed reminder.
What a wonderful word! I absolutely love the comparison. Yes Lord, may all my hope be in You!!!
Amanda,
What a perfect analogy. Thank you – I want to remember this.
Don’t you love it when God opens your eyes like that? It’s like Jesus telling a parable.
Oh, Amanda. I love your heart and insight into things. Just like your mama. And our mama of sorts.
Wonderful post Amanda!
Thanks for sharing!
Karen
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/tagblog
Beautiful thoughts, Amanda.
Father in heaven, I pray that Your Hand would rest on Beth and her team as they come down from the mountaintop experience of Breaking Free. Lord, I know how the enemy would love to steal the mighty faith that they have welcomed into their hearts and souls this week. Darts fly from nowhere. Lord, be their Shield and Defender. Thank You so much for providing all their needs according to Your riches in Glory. May they go forth with Your unfailing love resting on them and guarding them like a mother protecting her young. Bless them, Lord, bless them indeed! Father, for those who came to sit under this teaching, I pray for Your Spirit to continue to surround them and lead them through the battles that lie ahead for them. May they fight on their knees with the Word of God and may You receive all Glory and Honor. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen.
What a great analogy. Thanks for sharing!
I needed that word today! Thank you so much for hearing the word and passing it along to us.
Kelli M
May God POP all of our red banoons. And then we come to Him empty-handed, facedown at the foot of the cross, and simply accept His mercy and grace.
Thanks Amanda,
From Christie (a new siesta)
That’s a profound take from your everyday life.
Nothing wrong with a balloon — until it becomes more than a balloon.
But dang, it’s hard to let a balloon just be a balloon, isn’t it?
What a wonderful analogy! Yes, let me find my joy in the LORD and Him alone.
Much love,
~Cheryl
Amanda – best post of yours I’ve read yet (and I’m pretty sure I’ve read them all!)
Nodding my head in agreement with your sentiments,
Warm in Alaska.
You are so wise…thank you!
Love this!
He has been working on me with this one too. My problem is when I am focusing on the stuff of here, I want more. Its never enough, and it frustrates me. God is contstantly asking me, “am I enough for you Katie?”. I remember when He spoke to me as I looked around my house contemplating all this one day…He said, “its all doomed, Katie”. That really hit home. He sees smoke when He sees this stuff, because He is eternal, He knows its destination.
I want to experience the Christmas season this year with the things of eternity on my mind, I want to see it from His perspective this year….oh, I can’t wait!
I Love and appreciate you!
What a beautiful word picture. Thank you, Amanda! I loved it!
totally irrelevant but when I was pregnant, I LOVED Luby’s mac and cheese. I gave birth and they went out of business here. I hope they weren’t staying afloat only b/c of the amount of mac and cheese I ate!?
Steph S
Ohhhhhh, this was so great to hear. It’s all about Him and nothing about us, isn’t it???? Glory to His Name! Thank you for such timely words, Amanda.
Miss Amanda,
I had never really thought about the “banoon” analogy! How very true what you said is…we do put our happiness into things that can easily be blown away, or popped by the enemy! You have truly given me something to think about! Hope you have gotten to enjoy your Mom coming home! Looking forward to when your sweet one gets here. My birthday is in February, but I hope you don’t have to wait that long for the little one (26th of February!)
Love you guys and give everyone a hug! You all mean so much to me.
God bless you,
Delilah
[email protected]
That was profound and was very needed today!!! Thank you Amanda! In Jesus’ Love Kathy Knoblock
Thank you for this timely and well-spoken word. I needed it!
cWhat a great picture of the fleeting stuff of this life. I really needed that visual. I sometimes get caught up in the little “ballons” in this world and lose sight of the heavenly. Thanks for that great word picture.
oh amanda ~ so timely before i jump into my CHRISTmas shopping! my heart needed this. thanks.
this just tore me up…thank you
Very good!! Especially in the times we are in here in our country. It is a good way for us to have a visual picture of what we should really be focused on and find joy in!!
Your post is a blessing…I’m doing a study where this week we are discussing idols and Jackson’s big red balloon has created the perfect visual aide. It’s 7:00am here in WI and I just called the gal that does worship for Bible study to share Jackson’s story. This might be the perfect way to share with our gals just how temporary these idol of the world are. Thank you!
What a wonderful reminder! Thank you so much!
Perfect timing to be reminded my soul can only be satisfied in my Shepherd King, alone! Thanks for the reminder, AJ. Precious booties too!
Amanda – Thank you for writing this post. God is so amazing!! My study time this morning was from the Breaking Free study on His unfailing love. Proverbs 19:22 was one of the key verses. He is so good!!
rebecca in e.tx
Amanda, What a word I needed. Our family is going through some tough issues with our daughter and my mother so that was a great word for me this morning as I read the blog.
Thank you!