I always cringe a little when someone offers my kids a balloon. Sure, they’re fun to play with and kids love them, but then there are the inevitable tears when the balloon pops. The drama when someone lets go inside the house and the balloon gets stuck on the ceiling in that one corner of the two-story living room where there’s no chance of retrieving it. Or, the sadness when they manage to hang onto the balloon for the whole day, then wake up the next to find it deflated and sinking.
Early on, I started to encourage my children to enjoy the beauty of a balloon flying through the sky. As we’d get home with our new balloons, having enjoyed them all the way home, we’d walk out into the driveway and let go of the string, watching them take flight and soar.
It occurred to me that the problem isn’t so much the balloon itself, but the string. The balloon is made to fly. Filled with helium, it’s natural tendency is to float and reach the highest heights. Yet we’ve placed strings on the balloon to hold it down, anchor it with our desire to keep it close by and safe.
Stop holding your dreams so tight if you want them to take flight
In the same way, we have to let go of the strings we’ve placed on our dreams in order for them to truly take flight and soar. Do you have strings attached to your dreams holding them down and anchoring them to smallness of ourselves? Holding back their full potential to soar and reach the heights God intended?
What strings have you placed on your dreams? Fear of the unknown, feelings of inadequacy, lack of self-confidence, fear of financial risk, feelings of shame or unworthiness, fear of failure? That list could go on and on. Don’t we always find something that holds us back from stepping fully into our dream and trusting God to equip us to fly?
“We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell
Chasing dreams means letting go and taking risks
By putting these strings on our dreams, we keep our dreams small. We try to hold onto our dreams until they’re fully formed and it’s safe to step into them, but that rarely happens. Dreams are risky. Dreams demand faith, courage, and trust. Dreams will never be fully formed; they constantly evolve as we take steps toward them.
Just like my kids with the balloons, if we hold our dreams too tight and don’t share them, they’ll pop. If we try to keep them tied down somewhere, they dreams will begin to deflate and shrink. If we only let them go in the safety of our house, they’ll hit the ceiling and get stuck, unable to truly soar.
In order to let our dreams really take flight, we have to take them out into the open and let go of all the strings. Take a step forward in faith and trust, knowing if the dream is aligned with God’s plan for our life, He’ll be the wind current guiding our dream in flight.
Chasing God’s dreams means letting it ALL go
Jesus tells us about this kind of trust in Matthew 18, when a young man asks what it takes to follow Jesus and inherit eternal life. This young man had followed all the rules and lived a good life, yet he was still holding onto one string, his money. Jesus told the man he needed to let go of ALL the strings in order to follow him and truly live.
A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good – except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”
“All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” (Luke 18:18-30 NIV)
It was too much for the young man to let go of that last string. Maybe money is your string, or maybe it’s something else, but the question for each of us is the same. Will we let go of all these worldly strings to follow Jesus? As Jesus reminds us in this passage, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
So, what strings are you still holding onto? What strings are holding back your dreams from taking flight and soaring on the heights? How do we let go? Pray, and pray some more. Ask God to help you with the strings you’re struggling to release and let Him guide you.
“Holding on is believing that there’s only a past; letting go is knowing that there’s a future.”
– Daphne Rose Kingma
This post is part of the “Imagine God’s Possible” series. For more information or to read other posts in the series, click here: Dream the Impossible… Imagine God’s Possible
Mary Geisen says
Letting go of everything in order to reach our dream is exactly what God calls us to do. It sounds like it is possible until we are put to the test. The best part is when we think it is impossible to take that next step, God reminds us that it is possible. God leads us forward when we think we cannot go one more step toward the dream that He is calling us to. Great reminder that with God all things are possible.
Kathryn says
so true – it all seems so possible to boldly walk in faith – until you’re standing at the threshold of taking that next scary step. yet, once we step, how incredible the ways God carries us through.
mbethany says
Love this! “Do you have strings attached to your dreams holding them down and anchoring them to smallness of ourselves?” Our smallness is so able to get in the way of big things!! Thanks for this encouragement and exhortation! #TestimonyTuesday
Kathryn says
Thanks for stopping by! Trying to remind myself not to be restrained by smallness, but to trust in His greatness.
kaylietess says
I grinned a little because I ask my kids to let the balloons go before we get in the car. This is just such a profound truth that we just can’t do it when we anchor to ourselves instead of to our God. I love watching him do amazing things when it seems impossible! Thank you for your words!
Kathryn says
Glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t like to bring balloons home!
Astrid says
funny- I picked that very same picture for my post today 🙂 Balloons are a source of drama at my house too. I love the quote. Releasing your dreams into God’s hand is hard and good stuff. Thanks for sharing on #RaRaLinkUp
Kathryn says
Loved your post, too! A different take on the balloon strings, but I love the idea of them being an anchor to the hope we have in God.
Tania Vaughan says
This has given me a lot to ponder. I am exactly in that place of standing at the end of the drive balloon in hand not quite able to let go maybe because I need to really identify the strings – thanks, glad I found you on #raralinkup
Kathryn says
Yes, identifying the strings and giving them names – sometimes that’s the hardest part, but so essential to know what exactly is holding us back Good luck on your journey and finding what strings you need to release!
Ruthie Gray says
I love the quote by Joseph Campbell. And the whole balloon analogy, as well as how you tied it all in with the rich young ruler! We’ve got to let go the string and let God work! We do fear – at least I do! But God is in our dreams – if we are following Him closely! And He Who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it.
This was truly lovely, I enjoyed reading it! I’m your neighbor on Testimony Tuesday!
Kathryn says
Thank you for stopping by! I think we all need a little reminder and encouragement to let go of those strings and trust – even though we know God is faithful and will see us through.
Lindsey says
What a beautiful analogy. Thank you 🙂
betsydecruz says
Earlier this week, I read this same story in Mark, and before Jesus says “You lack one thing,” Mark says, “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” That encouraged me to remember that even as I hang on to things and don’t want to let go, Jesus looks at me for who I am and He loves me anyway!
Good reflection on how we may be impeding our dreams by holding too tightly to the strings. 🙂
Kathryn says
How did I miss that line – wonderful!
blessingcounterdeb says
Wonderful analogy Kathryn! I’ve held onto some strings He wanted me to release just because I didn’t understand His dream for me was even better than the one I had for myself. God’s blessings!!
Kathryn says
I’m there right now! I know He has a big dream for me but I’m still caught up in my own limitations.
IFEOMA SAMUEL says
Hello Kathryn, this is so good. Full of wisdom and depth. I did enjoy this piece. Truthfully letting it all go and no strings not even a single one should we hold back.
Lovely, that kind you so much.
God bless you
Kathryn says
Thanks for stopping by! Glad you liked this one.
sarahgirl3 says
I think my string is, at times, my plan. I hold too tightly to how I think it should go and it doesn’t work out that way usually!
Kathryn says
Oh yes – me too! I’m such a planner and want to have all the details mapped out – yet His plans rarely work according to those plans.
Jeannie Pallett says
Dreams are risky and dreams demand faith. Exactly where I am today, walking in faith and risking it all! Choosing to trust God with my whole heart and keep on letting go. Your words were just what I needed to read today after finding you at Grace & Truth. Thanks!
Laura says
I’m a planner, but over the past few years, I have learned to be more flexible. Sometimes it’s difficult to remember that God’s dreams for my life will always be better than my own. I think we should dream, but when they don’t work out, we must surrender those old plans and make some new big dreams. Thanks for the encouragement to let go and trust in The One! 🙂
Lorencia says
I am so inspired by your article, God bless you for sharing!