January 10th. 68 degrees, sunny, and windy. I’m watching a sub-zero NFL playoff game and I hear the wind rushing through the trees outside. I think about the kite I recently noticed in the back of the garage and inspiration hits, “Hey, let’s go outside!” I shout. It creates a moment of confusion as everyone looks up from their electronic devices.
There’s a pause and then Ava asks, “What do you want to do outside?”
My response is simple, but filled with childlike exuberance, “Play!”
It takes some badgering but we finally get the kids outside. We take out the old kite, and with some strategically placed duct tape, get it aloft. The tail is tattered. The cross piece is too short and obviously belongs to something else, but it still flies happily against the wind, diving and swooping with a mind of its own. As we let out more and more string, the slack in the line causes the kite to flutter and fall. That reminds me of the children’s story about the curious kite who decides that he would be better off without the string holding him down.
The tale does not go well for the free flying kite. The wind takes him and carries him wherever it wills. He ends up crashing ignominiously to earth, unable to fly at all, wistfully looking up into the open heavens above. The kite realizes that he needs the string to fly. The string wasn’t preventing him from flying. The string was the reason he could fly in the first place. In fact, there is science behind this phenomenon. An airplane relies on thrust from its engines to propel it forward through the air and to create lift. A kite, on the other hand, relies on the tension of the string to hold it in place while the wind courses over it. Without the string, the wind pushes the kite and it doesn’t get any lift. It may float for a while as the wind carries it away but it will eventually crash.
We are like that kite. We are designed to experience the wind of life in all of its joy and fullness. We are made to love. We are made to fly. (Matt 7:9-12) However, we can’t reach that potential without some tension holding us in place. Self-control is a string. We have to learn to deny ourselves and seek a higher cause, finding purpose and fulfillment by loving others more than ourselves. We have to set aside our base instincts and emotions, and use intelligence and wisdom to make decisions. Harry Truman said, “In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves… self-discipline with all of them came first.”
In high school I wanted a keyboard. I shopped around and decided on an Ensoniq that cost $1,000. I was making under $4/hour working retail part-time. It took me a long time to save up for that keyboard, but I eventually bought it with cash. I remember thinking at the time that it was even more exciting because I had waited so long to get it. Self-control works. I planned, worked hard, showed patience, and was rewarded. I kept that string securely tied. I didn’t go into debt, and I was able to enjoy the fruits as a result.
A few years ago I quit paying close attention to my diet. Over the course of two years I gained about 14 pounds and I noticed that I was getting headaches more often. I let some slack get into the string and my body was directionless as a result. Last Summer I started focusing on what I was eating. I used common sense and discipline to eat more fruits and vegetables, and less processed carbs and sugars. I’ve lost 10 pounds so far and my headaches have nearly disappeared. It seems like I have less freedom now, but by staying tied down to eating properly, I’m actually more free to enjoy life. I am trying to keep this string securely tied. This is why Paul encourages us to train. We can’t expect to experience all that life has to offer if we don’t work at it. (1 Cor 9:24-27)
We are the kite and the tension could be the discipline and guidance of our parents or of our close friends. Those who love us will give advice and will set guidelines that are for our own good. It may seem like a difficult path at the time, but it is being done out of love for us. (Heb 12:7-13) These external ties keep us steady in the winds of a new relationship, or in the turmoil of a relationship that is dying. We need to keep those strings securely tied to those who loves us. We also need to reach out and be the kite strings for others in our lives. We add purpose and joy to our lives when we can help those we care about and then watch them soar to new heights. (Eph 4:14-16)
I watch as the blustery winds tug against the string in my hand and the kite swerves left and right. It is now gliding at the end of 100 feet of string. The kite shines brightly in the fading winter sun, while I stand on the earth in shadow. It is safely flying over the court, but suddenly it dives quickly and I realize that my perspective is off. It is headed straight for the neighbor’s enormous oak tree. The kite crashes into the branches 40 feet off the ground and flaps helplessly. I tug and it shifts slightly. I tug again, harder, and it pops free, catches the wind, and rises majestically back into the sky. We let out a little “Whoop!”
Hmm, there’s a lesson here. With the string I was able to free the kite …