Between the Storms: Hot Air Balloon Moments...

My brother-in-law and niece are hot air balloon enthusiasts. As I searched through Jenna's pictures, I saw this prayer:

The Balloonist Prayer

The winds have welcomed

you with softness

The sun has blessed you with

his warm hands.

You have flown so high and so well

that God has joined you in your laughter

and set you gently back again

into the loving arms of mother earth.

It sounds wonderful, like you are able to hop in and enjoy a ride in the sunset or sunrise. Not so, though. It's lots of work. The basket is unloaded. The balloon is laid out. The propane tanks filled and set up.... So much more than I know, for sure, even though I've watched this process.

But just think of the ride. All that hard work has to be worth it. And not only is it worth it, it's mandatory! If something is done wrong, it could be a fateful day.

Imagine floating up in the clouds... Ahhhh... No wonder Jenna loves it so much. I'm sure she would say she feels lots closer to God up there.

Airplanes are to get us somewhere, which is good. I love when the plane takes me to Washington to fall into a Mari hug again and I love when it brings me back home to my family.

Balloons are different, though. They don't take you TO anywhere. It's wherever the wind directs. And the journey is enjoyable. The chase vehicles try to plot the plan so they can pack everything up and take balloon and riders back to every day, normal life. Being in that vehicle is a crazy ride in itself:) Trust me!

I want my life to be blown by God. I don't want to book my flight according to my plans, and stay on that course no matter what. I would choose the most direct plan to get me there the quickest. Funny that my most memorable flights are the ones that were bumpy and a bit scary but exciting.

I want God to direct my paths every single second, even though it may be through a storm or two or five. Along the way, He also points out others going through their own storms. How much more empathy do we have when going through our own? So much more.

You have flown so high and so well

that God has joined you in your laughter

and set you gently back again

into the loving arms of mother earth.

and to change this poem a bit, our last ride will be into the Loving Arms of our Father, where, I hope He will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Not sure what my ride will be today, this Monday or this week, not even this year. Whatever, though, I know KNOW that God will be with me every single step of the way - through calm weather and gale force winds. Sometimes I even get to stand up in that bucket and look down and see how far I've gone or I can look out to see what's ahead. Life's truly a journey, and until God takes us up, up, and away...I will live that journey to the fullest.