Parable of the Kite with No Tail
by: Alan Smith
Isaiah 40:31: But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (NIV)
The wind was blowing steadily that day and the trees were bending and swaying under the direction of the wind. The sky was a deep, clear blue and the grass was plush and green. The meadow was a perfect place to fly a kite, so the children wandered that way to do just that.
It was obvious that they were on a great adventure; but they weren’t having very good success with their kite. The kite went up in the air fast, and then side to side as if to say, "I will go where I please." The kite did not have any particular direction in which to go. It just knew that it wanted to go somewhere without anyone controlling it. Only the resistance of the string would hold the kite down. The kite was so fighting the resistance that it went around and around until it crashed to the ground. The children launched the kite again, only to repeat the same events of the day.
Suddenly, there appeared an old man: a grandfather to the children. He sat with them and taught them about the laws of the wind and told them that their lives were like a kite. He told them how the wind was created for their good; how his Father enjoyed blowing onto the ground with his breath, making it possible for things of the earth to soar. He told them that God created them to fly and soar in life just as the kite. He shared with them how it took three things for the kite to soar: the first was wind; the second was a tail for their kite; and the third was resistance.
The grandfather first addressed the wind. He said to them, “The wind represents the Holy Spirit of God. When He blows into your life, you have the power to soar. Without the wind, the kite cannot leave the ground. Its power must come from another; for the kite has no power of its own. The same is true for you. The wind of the Spirit is always in unity with the Words of God and will always breathe life into you.”
Next, the grandfather addressed the tail of the kite. He told the children that their kite did not have a tail, and they asked him why it needed one. He shared with them that the kite needed direction for its journey. Without a tail it could not go very high and would crash to the ground every time. He showed them how the tail felt like a weight to the kite; but in actuality, the tail gave the kite direction. When attached to the kite, the tail would not let it go astray. He then told them that the tail was "the Word" for them that day, and that it was very important for them to hear "the Word"; for it was “the Word" that would give them direction to fly higher in this new season and not crash to the ground.
As he shared, he looked to the ground and saw the tail of the kite lying there. The grandfather asked them why the tail was there. The children responded that the tail kept getting tangled in the string and they thought that it could fly better without it. It appeared to be in the way. The grandfather took an old Bible out of his pocket. He tore the pages out of it and tied them to the kite’s tail. The old man taught them that the kite represented their lives, and that life is a great adventure through which everyone would fly. Their desire would be to fly high and fast so they could see everything. They would want to go where they wanted to, anytime they wanted to. However, without the Word of God to give them direction, they would only fall to the ground.
The last understanding the grandfather addressed with the “children” was resistance. He shared with them how the kite hated the string that was attached to it. The kite would fight the string as if to say, “If I could just be free of this string that resists me, I could really fly. I could fly higher and higher and be what I was really created to be.” He told them that without resistance the kite would not have a "negative" from which to trust unto a "positive". When the kite agreed with the resistance and used it for its good, it took a negative resistance and "transformed" it into the necessary power that would cause the kite to go higher. The grandfather shared with them that it took a combination of the wind, a tail, and the resistance to actually propel the kite to soar higher and ascend toward its destiny.
Before sending them home, he then quoted to the children what his heavenly Father had told him:
Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (KJV)
When the Word of God is attached to our lives, it is then that we have direction. This will cause us to soar higher and higher in life. When we soar higher we can begin to see things as God sees them.
What truly supports the fabric of a kite? It is the cross that is behind it. Open the fabric of your heart today because the cross of Christ is supporting you. The fabric cannot support itself. Let the wind of the Spirit of God blow against you. Take the Word of God and let it give you direction for this new season. When resistance comes, remember that it is necessary for you to go to higher places than you have ever been before. Do not despise the resistance, as it can be used for your good. It’s your choice. Choose this day to believe God. He will take you on a journey that is unbelievable!
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