After my son Bryce’s birthday party last year, I tied a couple of balloons to his doorknob. Almost two weeks later, Bryce and I came in the house after a long day. He went to his room and I went to my room.
“Aw man!” I heard across the house.
I ran to see what was going on only to find my son holding one of the balloons. Then, in a most serious voice, he said, “Dad, there’s gravity in this balloon now!”
I faked a cough to cover the slight outburst of laughter.
Actually, in case you are interested, the latex balloon material is somewhat porous. Over time, when enough helium leaks out, the weight of the balloon is too heavy for the surface space causing the balloon to fall. Or at least that’s what Wikipedia told me (so it must be true).
But I think I like Bryce’s idea better. In fact, there are days that I feel like I’m suddenly filled with gravity. You know what I mean?
The Psalmist said it this way, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” (Psalm 42:5).
There are days when it feels like everything in the world is pulling me down. Sometimes I can’t even discern why. Other times it is triggered by scenarios outside of my control like being “third wheel” at dinner with friends or trying to answer my son when he says, “Why did God take my mommy to heaven?”
There is no way around it. Emotional gravity overtakes us sometimes and causes us to feel like the air has been let out of our balloon. But the Psalmist has an answer. He finishes his thought in Psalm 42:5 by saying, “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”
I love the way the Psalmist frequently preaches to himself. It’s a great model for us to follow –and a great way to fill up on spiritual helium.
Ultimately, Psalm 42:5 is pointing us forward to our hope and salvation in Christ, who centuries later would say, “Take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). He is the only one with the power to defy sin’s gravity and rise above this world’s darkness.
In the end, for those of us who have placed faith in Christ, we will rise to meet him in the air –sort of like a balloon. Until then, we can experience a spiritual relief from this world’s gravity when we are filled with His spirit –the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11).
So don’t worry, gravity can’t get you down!