Day or night, hot air balloons are beautiful. In the sun or during the storms, you are beautiful too.
Shreveport Balloon Rally 2016https://www.facebook.com/Red-River-Balloon-Rally-115633728779107
Photo by Tammy Bennett
If you are out and about this weekend and around Shreveport, you are liable to see hot air balloons. We are having a balloon rally. Granted, it’s stinkin’ hot outside, but other than that the rally is quite fun.
When I was in college, my now father-in-law purchased a hot air balloon. It was beautiful, full of color twirling around the balloon. I loved crewing with my then boyfriend, now husband, and one time I went on an untethered ride. If you get the opportunity to do an untethered ride, I highly recommend it. It is by far one of the most peaceful places on earth. I guess technically you wouldn’t be on earth, but you get the picture.
Since there is a balloon rally in Shreveport this weekend, I’d like to share some things I’ve learned about ballooning. Did you know balloons do not have steering wheels or rudders? So how do they determine their course? Before even getting the basket and envelope out of the trailer, the pilot sends up a regular balloon filled with helium. The pilot tracks the balloon as it ascends from the earth into the heavens. Each layer may have a different direction of wind or different force of wind. Based on what the pilot observes, the pilot will determine where to launch the balloon. Keep in mind the wind can change at any point in time.
You see, there are certain areas the balloons are not allowed to fly. For example, around airports and military bases. So the pilot determines where to launch that will send the balloon away from those DO NOT FLY areas.
Once the course is set. A launching site is selected. The crew follows the pilot to the launching site. Once there, the basket and envelope are taken out. Right now, it’s not a hot air balloon. Right now it’s not even connected to the basket or to the pilot. The crew takes the envelope and spreads it out being care to not walk on the envelope or damage it.
Once the balloon is laid out, the straps are connected to the basket. Then two crew members hold the mouth of the balloon open and a fan begins to fill the envelope. But the balloon still won’t fly. The pilot lights a propane burner and blows flames toward the open envelop to heat the air. As the air heats it begins to raise the envelope until it is erect. The pilot enters the basket. The crew releases the cords, and we have lift off.
The pilot continues to heat the air to lift the balloon to the stream of wind that will take him to the tentative trajectory. And the crew loads the vehicles and follows.
That balloon is a lot like human beings. You see, you really aren’t living until the wind is in you. Did you know in the Bible the Holy Spirit is referred to as wind? The Greek word for the Spirit is pneuma “meaning ‘to blow’, and thus can mean ‘breath, wind, air, ghost or spirit’” (HCSB pg 2021).
We really don’t start living above the fray until the Spirit fills.
We really aren’t in control of what goes on, but between the pilot (God) and the wind (Spirit) inflating the balloon, your life is directed. And just like there are NO FLY ZONES for balloons, there are no fly zones for Christians. There are places and people we should avoid because they would be detrimental to our life, our witness, our testimony, so the Spirit and God attempt to steer you from them whenever possible.
One other thing. Have you ever been to a balloon rally at night? IT IS MY FAVORITE. It’s called a glow. All the balloons are set up, and the pilots while in the basket burn the fuel into the full envelopes. So what you see are the true colors of each of the balloons glowing brilliantly against the dark night skies. When Christians go through the dark seasons or times in life, the Spirit is still in us. But it’s in the darkness that allows God’s light to be more easily seen in you. He’s putting you on display (2 Corinthians 2:14), so that others may see His work in you and come to know Him (Matthew 5:16). https://www.blueletterbible.org/hcsb/mat/5/16/s_934016
My prayer is that when you see a hot air balloon that you will be reminded of the Spirit who lives within and the God who has ordained your every footstep. Enjoy the rally!