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Go Fly a Kite - April 19, 2007
When an eight-year-old boy says "you wanna go walk on the beach?" it's pretty hard to resist. If it's a clear, breezy day, one might also suggest the boy bring his kite. And if his mom returns home just as you're leaving, you will of course, invite her to join you.
Matthew was gleefully running along the windy beach, kite trailing behind him. He looked like he was walking a dog, except that the "dog" was slightly airborne. When I told Ruth I thought he would enjoy himself more if he'd let out some string so his kite could catch an updraft, she agreed. So, I tried to explain it to him and show him, but Matthew would have none of it. Snatching the control string back from my hands, he was perfectly content to gleefully "walk his dog." Although I knew he would have an even better time if he'd let me teach him a thing or two, he was having a nice time already, so I decided not to push it.
Along the way, I found a bench, and sat in the cool sun while Ruth and Matthew continued on. When Matthew's kite came soaring over the crest of the dune, instantly, I knew what had happened. Matthew had offered the same resistance to his mom, but she had gently but firmly pressed through it. Once he'd acquiesced, he'd discovered a higher joy.
"Nah, I like it just fine the way I do it." How often do we find ourselves with this attitude? How often would there be great joys awaiting us if we were just willing to take a little instruction? There is a Creator and Redeemer, ready to take the control string from you and show you a better way. If you will acquiesce, you will soar higher than you ever thought possible.
Warren Kramer is the founding editor of Daily Wisdom and operates a graphic design service Warren Kramer&Associates, Warren Kramer & Associates | Visual Design for Print and Web, which offers visual design, illustration & art direction for printed communications, logos and corporate identities, signage, trade show displays, and of course, web sites
When an eight-year-old boy says "you wanna go walk on the beach?" it's pretty hard to resist. If it's a clear, breezy day, one might also suggest the boy bring his kite. And if his mom returns home just as you're leaving, you will of course, invite her to join you.
Matthew was gleefully running along the windy beach, kite trailing behind him. He looked like he was walking a dog, except that the "dog" was slightly airborne. When I told Ruth I thought he would enjoy himself more if he'd let out some string so his kite could catch an updraft, she agreed. So, I tried to explain it to him and show him, but Matthew would have none of it. Snatching the control string back from my hands, he was perfectly content to gleefully "walk his dog." Although I knew he would have an even better time if he'd let me teach him a thing or two, he was having a nice time already, so I decided not to push it.
Along the way, I found a bench, and sat in the cool sun while Ruth and Matthew continued on. When Matthew's kite came soaring over the crest of the dune, instantly, I knew what had happened. Matthew had offered the same resistance to his mom, but she had gently but firmly pressed through it. Once he'd acquiesced, he'd discovered a higher joy.
"Nah, I like it just fine the way I do it." How often do we find ourselves with this attitude? How often would there be great joys awaiting us if we were just willing to take a little instruction? There is a Creator and Redeemer, ready to take the control string from you and show you a better way. If you will acquiesce, you will soar higher than you ever thought possible.
Warren Kramer is the founding editor of Daily Wisdom and operates a graphic design service Warren Kramer&Associates, Warren Kramer & Associates | Visual Design for Print and Web, which offers visual design, illustration & art direction for printed communications, logos and corporate identities, signage, trade show displays, and of course, web sites
