Balloons

The cool fall morning lightened from dark to rosy hues as the sun slowly rose over the mountains in the distance--light and dark interplayed creating a shadowed relief in the horizon. The sleep of night was slowly waking with soft whooshes of air, the occasional voice calling out and orchestrated movements in the ballet of laying out fabric upon the ground.

Soon, the sounds of generators powering large fans awakened the day further as the giant, inflatables began to take shape. As the sun broke over the horizon, colors of the rainbow, gentle spheres could be seen rising on the open ground. As they rose into the sky, wicker baskets were attached and propane burners heated the air filling them. Tethered to the earth with stakes, the gentle giants rose in ordered rows, filling the eyes of all around with rich colors and shapes.

Some of the balloons were magical shapes--Noah's Ark, a cow, a piggy bank, a stage coach, and a chili ristra over a hundred feet tall. There were clouds, rainbows, animated characters, and even a Darth Vader floating in the early morning light interspersed amongst the "regular" balloons.

Standing on the hillside overlooking the balloon field, the sounds and shapes were filling the senses of those watching the preparations of the first wave of the balloon fiesta. Albuquerque was home for the largest gathering of balloons in the world. As one row of balloons would unleash their tethers and float into the sky the next would finish preparing. With row after row clearing the field, more and more balloons would take their places and begin the process of preparation and ascent.

Within a span of only a couple of hours hundreds of balloons filled the skies. With the sun breaking through highlighting and backlighting the marvelous shapes and colors. They gently floated over the city, down the river, and some even manipulated the air waves to return to land upon the same field from which they took off.

With the gently rising of each balloon flew the hopes and prayers of its crew, passengers, and observers. Their ascent with nothing more than hot air lifted spirits, hopes, and dreams. The release of their lines tethering them to the earth freed them to soar on the winds--leaving their cares behind.

So are our prayers. Prayers come in a myriad of colors, shapes, and designs. They hold our deepest desires, hopes, dreams . . . and fears. Prayers can be specific or simple feelings. They are often formed in the darkness, filled with the dawn of hope, and released to God.

Some prayers float through our lives for long periods of time, while others are quickly dispersed and move on. Prayers are precious, agonizing, simple, complex, communication of our hearts and desires to God. Some we see answered. Some float beyond our knowledge. However, all are a delight to God.

Listening God, we whisper, speak, and shout to you. We place our desires, our hopes, our heartaches, our fears into your care. May they draw us closer to you--and may we listen to your still speaking voice. So be it. Amen.