The Parable of the Purple Balloons

Today I hosted a baby shower for a dear friend that I've known for many years. We were going with a pink/white/black theme so I went to get balloons and spent some time selecting colors and designs. This isn't my first rodeo so I carefully looked at the spotted balloons and stretched them out to make sure I wasn't getting navy blue or purple. I handed the stack to the gal and did some shopping while they were filled with helium. When I got back to the bouquet my heart sank. TWO PURPLE BALLOONS?!? But I didn't have time to have the balloon gal redo them and I didn't want to say, "Hey wait, these are supposed to be black." So we left the store with 2 balloons I had no use for.

At home 30 minutes later (and with only 45 minutes until the shower) I remembered that today is the birthday of a new gal in my neighborhood that I have been trying to befriend. I knew her birthday was coming up and I wanted to acknowledge it, but with work and the baby shower I had forgotten. Knowing my night was tied up I thought, "What can I take to her right now?" And then I remembered my 2 "useless" purple balloons.

In an instant I felt like God had my back today. He helped me get something right, even when I thought it was wrong. I've thought about those purple balloons all night and my heart swells with gratitude every time. Sure, you could say I would have found something else to take by, but I like to think of God working on the details of my life, even when it sometimes feels hurried and messy. 

Originally posted to Facebook on September 29, 2016