GATHERING BALLOONS

The Upward Look, by Jon Forrest
Gathering Balloons

Following is a story I discovered on FaceBook. There is no author named with it, but I thought it was excellent:

A teacher gave a balloon to every student in the class. Each was told to inflate it, write their name on it and throw it in the hallway.
 
The teacher walked through the balloons and mixed them all around. The students were given 5 minutes to find his or her own balloon. Despite a hectic search, no one found their personal balloon. At that point, the teacher told the students to take the first balloon that they found and hand it to the person whose name was written on it.
 
Within 5 minutes, everyone had their own balloons. The teacher explained to the students: "These balloons are like happiness. We will never find it if everyone is looking for their own. But if we care about other people's happiness, we'll find ours too."
This is how life works. If we love others enough to put their happiness ahead of our own, we will find it many times over. God designed us to put others first. Jesus told us that the first will be last and the last will be first. He wasn’t just making up a little catchy rule. He was dead serious. He was telling us how life truly works. He is our maker. He created us in His own image. God loves to serve us. It I what gives him joy. Let’s do our best to put our neighbors, friends and family first. When that happens, true happiness will be the fruit of our lives.

Sunday, we continue our series FCC Summer Cruise with a message I call Man Overboard based on James 5:19-20. Put on your lei and join in the fun. You will be glad you did.

Handing you a balloon,
Jon