A Sweet Image

We recently attended a relative's birthday party. At the end of the party, the kids all took the balloons and released them outside. Todd, my son, loved this. He was really excited about this idea.

We went to the dollar store a week or so after he had released the balloons. He asked to buy a blue, star-shaped balloon. I agreed. As soon as we stepped outside, he asked to let it go. I asked him to wait until we got home. He fell asleep on the way home, and I forgot about it. The next day he saw it and wanted to let it go. We stood by the car and watched it fly up. He, again, was very excited. We got into the car and he described to me the following....

"Mommy, God just reached down and got His balloon." I asked him what did God do with the balloons. He said, "Oh, He holds them". I asked him did God hold them just for a minute or a long time. He said, "Forever and He knows that balloon was from me".

It hit me. What a touching and sweet image of God. Can you picture God holding every balloon that has ever been released. Todd went on to say that balloons made God happy. I am so glad that Todd, who is only 3, has such a warm impression of Christ. I have not been able to get that picture of God holding balloons out of my mind. Perhaps that is what is meant when we hear that heaven is going to be a happy place. Maybe that is why the Bible says to be like a child. Just maybe we will receive balloons upon our return. An amazing thought from a child's mind!

Hurt

Last night, it was just about time for Todd to go to bed. He had stayed up a little later than usual so he could see Daddy (he had to work late). He had rounded the corner and was running at a fast pace to see Daddy and he ran, full force, into the corner of the footboard. I was on the computer in the other part of the house and heard the impact. He came crying to me for comfort. He wanted me to get the "hurt off of him". As I was calming him down, I kept thinking about how much I wanted to get his pain to tranfer to me so he wouldn't hurt. Through that experience, I was reminded of how Christ must feel on a constant basis. I cannot imagine the hurt he must endure. He tried to take that pain away on that horrific day, yet we turn our backs on Him so often. He was so willing to sacrifice His life for us, and yet we, so often, can be just like those who beat Him and cursed His name. I pray that I can remember the pain I experienced last night when Todd was hurt and us that as a reminder that Christ suffered the ultimate pain for me.