—Proverbs 3 : 12

A group of young people were having fun using the wind to fly their kites which hovered like beautiful birds darting and dancing about in the heady atmosphere of the sky above them. As the strong winds gusted against the kites, a string kept them in tow. Instead of blowing away with the wind, the kites arose against it to achieve greater heights. They shook and pulled, but the restraining string kept them in check, facing upward and against the wind. The graceful kites soared beautifully even as they fought the imposed restriction of the string.

Finally, one of the kites succeeded in breaking loose, but the freedom from restraint simply put it at the mercy of an unsympathetic breeze. It fluttered ungracefully to the ground and landed in a tangled mass of weeds where it did lie powerless in the dirt, to be blown helplessly along the ground.

We are like kites in the wind. The Lord disciplines us so that we might soar higher and higher (Hebrews 12:6; Proverbs 3:12). We are given rules and guidance in the Scriptures to follow from which we can grow and gain strength. The winds that buffet our lives, and which often cause us so much grief, are the means the Lord uses to help us ascend and grow closer to Him.

Restraint is a necessary counterpart to the winds of opposition in life. Some people tug at the rules so hard they never soar to the heights they have been destined for.

Our Heavenly Father gives us the scriptures and the guidance of the Holy Spirit so we might rise to the heights He has in store for us. But, we need to recognize that some of the restraints we may chafe under are actually the steadying force that helps us ascend and achieve.

—Fr. Hugh Duffy