July 12
Scripture: John 16:33
Source author: Kristi Paxton
July 12
Deflated, But Not Defeated Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. —John 16:33
Deb sent me a balloon the day my last child finished high school. Two months later, it still hovered, tied to the cowshaped clock in the kitchen. Lonely with my last kid gone, I decided to clean house, starting with the deflating balloon. At the wastebasket, its string slipped from my hand. The balloon floated into our ceiling fan, which started beating it to death. I leaped to retrieve it from another punch, but it escaped, jumping back into the fan, only to receive another beating. I stopped the fan to save the balloon’s life. Sighing, I gave it a new home in the sunroom, tied to a chair, where it could spend its last days rising and falling and looking out into the woods. I called Deb, who was recovering from a heartbreaking divorce. “Remember that balloon you sent me? Well, it turns out it’s a fighter like you are! Looks like you both get another chance.” Thanks to the persistent balloon, we shared a laugh, grateful for a unique lesson in courage.
If we’re drowning in self-pity, we may miss a chance to encourage others. — Kristi Paxton —