TodayI had one of the most memorable and meaningful experiences of my college life. Five of us friends loaded up and ran to party city, where we filled up five white balloons with helium and tied them each to a different colored ribbon. We all gathered around Paul's Pond, inadvertently one of the most spiritual and tranquil places on campus. As we stood in the freezing cold, we each took a balloon and passed a sharpie around.
We wrote down all of the things that are holding us back.
All of the things that weigh us down every day.
All of the things that get in the way of realizing God's love for us.
All of the sins that plague our lives.
All of our insecurities and shortcomings.
Everything that we want to let go.
And as the black ink began to take over the white area of the balloons, many thoughts came to mind. What if we had to walk around with these shortcomings, insecurities and sins prominently displayed and tied to our wrists for the world to see? What if we had to lug them around with us everywhere we went?
Well, thanks to Jesus Christ, we don't have to. We believe in a God that is big enough to cope with all of our hangups and insecurities. He tells us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light.
"My dear, dear children. Why do you wallow in your shortcomings? Can't you see that my wrists are bigger than yours and can hold infinitely times more balloons than yours can? And can't you see that my strength is your strength? Haven't I told you numerous times not to worry? The birds of the air don't reap or sow, but I still provide for them. And you, you children, mean so much more to me than the birds. You are my most marvelous creation. I am here for you, and I never let go. Let me take all of your burdens. Let me replace them with my words and my characteristics. Let me into your heart and let me change you. I love you so much. I'm coming with a pair of scissors to cut those marked-up balloons off of your wrists." - Jesus.
As we watched those 5 balloons float away into the foggy Wichita sky, we didn't know when they would pop or where they would land, but we knew that the prayer that we sent with them already met our Father's ears and he is working for our good.
