Balloon From Heaven

 “Anyone who puts his trust in Me will never die." ~ John 11:26

Almost every year since Ashley’s Dad died of a brain aneurysm, she’d written him a letter on a mylar balloon on his birthday. Releasing a “balloon-a-gram” skyward was something her Mom, who’d also lost her father at a young age, suggested the teen do in order to help her cope with her waves of grief.

She loved watching it float into the heavens and disappear. It felt like a weight had been suddenly lifted off her chest, praying that he’d receive it.

Its message covered everything she wanted him to know – how she’d started at a new school and had made the varsity softball team. She explained that she would attend a college in Northern California after graduation to study psychology.

She apologized (again), for missing his last phone call. The night before her dad died, she saw a call from her Dad and didn't pick up. She couldn’t fix that now but pleaded with him for a sign that he’s forgiven her. She closed by telling him that she loved him, and missed him like crazy.

This year, Ashley got an almost-immediate response.

The next day, in the parking lot of a restaurant 436 miles away, a customer picked up a star-shaped, deflated balloon covered with writing. He picked up what he thought was litter, but quickly realized he’d stumbled upon something much greater.

He started reading and fighting back tears.  Between “Dear Dad” and “I love You” was a very private and personal letter of sadness and guilt.  

After sharing it with Lisa, the restaurant’s owner, they decided to reach out to the young girl. Ashley had signed her full name on heaven’s letter so it was easy to find her online.

Lisa also started a pay-it-forward page she followed on Facebook and asked people to contribute and got an instant, heartwarming response. Inspired by the story, members of the page sent cards and small gifts to Ashley as a show of support for losing a parent.

The overwhelming response was just the sign Ashley needed. “I believe he’s telling me he loves me, to forgive easily (including myself), and not to get down on myself," she confided. 

Ashley said Lisa’s unexpected kindness shows that her father still has an important presence in her life. “His message was that you can impact others’ lives by doing small things.”

In Mitch Albom’s book “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” Eddie expected to meet family and friends who passed away before his own death. Instead, he met people who almost seemed trivial and irrelevant. Each of them tried to help Eddie understand that events in our life that seem to have no significant consequence can end up being the most important moments of our lives. 

Father God, every life on earth is indeed serving a purpose. Keep reminding us that even while living what we might consider an unimportant life, we are all interconnected and part of Your bigger plan and purpose. Amen