Like the Wind

"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." ~ John 3:8

That's what I kept thinking when Jake and I were flying our kite last weekend. I don't remember the last kite flying experience I had, but it didn't take me long to realize that this kite flying stuff is fun. I had more fun than Jacob, and I wouldn't rest until I had let out the entire spool of string. Our park location wasn't ideal - it was kind of a bowl surrounded by hills and trees that encouraged swirling type winds. Right when I thought we were doing - it came crashing down all the way to the ground. So, I would run, dip, pull, backpeddle, kneel down - whatever I had to do to put the kite in the way of the upswirls. Once it was up, I let Jake hold it all by himself. He did great and didn't let go. He also loved running and chasing me across the field as I was fighting with the kite. For some reason, Holly always positioned herself right where the kite would dive-bomb all the way to the ground. I'm happy to report that no injuries were incurred, but a lesson was learned by me...

When we live our lives under the influence of the Holy Spirit, we can not predict what it will be like. It's not up to us to predict and manipulate the ups and downs. The Spirit (like the wind) takes us up and down, and sideways, then rapidly up, then gliding effortlessly, then through a very difficult time, then ultimately as high as you can possible go. That kite was most impressive when it was fluttering loudly and the streamers off the tail were flying wildly due to being caught in the strength of the wind. The wind blew wherever it pleased, and I had to do a lot of running, pulling and inconvenient stuff to get where it was. Once I was there, it was beautiful.

We were meant to live at the mercy of the wind that we can't see, but we know is there. Sometimes it takes us high, other times low. Sometimes we have to readjust to find ourselves back in the influence of the wind. Life in the Spirit is the best life ever ... never dull, never predictable, up, down, loud, quiet, but most importantly soaring high under a power beyond what we could accomplish on our own.

Maybe you should fly a kite this weekend ...

God Bless.