It was in the spring of 2012 that I knew God was nudging my heart to keep step in balance so that I would soar, or at least be in process.  The two years prior, I had been intently invested in “Late Night Mom University” scouring journal articles, scientific literature, and numerous medical appointments to try and make sense of what had happened to our son – all to the tune of being completely unbalanced and in literal pain from lack of sleep and living in survival mode in trying to process grief and carry forward.  Today, I can gratefully say I was thankful for that season, even with the pain, as it has wrought something priceless in my soul.  Mind you, I am not thankful for it, but through it now, being on the other side and looking forward to what God would have ahead.

In that time, two years ago, the analogy of a kite was so vivid in my mind and heart, along with the joyful tune of “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” as a whimsical breath of fun in the midst of serious times.  It was an even greater blessing when our son brought home a color page of a kite, and to his best ability scribbled way beyond the lines.

May I share those guiding principles with you?

Balance is essential for the four sides of the kite to sail to its fullest potential.  In Hebraic thought (Old Testament), wholeness encompasses the body and spirit as one, whereas, Greek thought (New Testament) separates body, mind, and spirit.  What I would like to propose is that balance physically and spiritually are so intertwined and in reality the whole person.  Just as if a foundation isn’t strong, it will collapse, so a kite without balance will not soar freely.

The Four Side of  a Traditional Kite

Authentic Connections  (Luke 2:52)

First side of the Kite Frame

This would include both relationships with others and oneself.  It would include being in community with transparent and authentic highs and lows.  It would in my view also include an authentic relationship with God.  This authentic relationship with God embraces God’s acceptance, without working or earning it.  Jesus was accepted with the affirmation of Father God as “well pleased” before he ever did any “ministry” at his baptism (Matt. 17:5).  With Abraham, he was accounted as accepted because he believed God, not for what he did after he believed him (Rom. 4:11-13).

 

In very context of meaning from the Greek, Matthew 22:36-40, of the greatest commandments, first to love God with all out heart, soul, and mind, and second, our neighbor as we love our self, we oft overlook the portion that loving ourselves in the same manner as we love others is one of the greatest commands according to Jesus.  One can sacrifice their own wellbeing and have nothing left in reserve to live a balanced life to give in a healthy and loving way so that they may truly soar in authentic connections.

 

Authentic relationship means embracing our identity as being truly found in God and living with humble confidence in abundance by “habitually lodging and dwelling there.”  It is in this place that we are not swayed by the temporal yearnings and desires that were so familiar to Christ in his temptations on the mount.

Psalm 91:1-4 (YLT)

91 He who is dwelling In the secret place of the Most High, In the shade of the Mighty lodgeth habitually,

² He is saying of Jehovah, `My refuge, and my bulwark, my God, I trust in Him,’

³ For He delivereth thee from the snare of a fowler, From a calamitous pestilence.

⁴ With His pinion He covereth thee over, And under His wings thou dost trust,

A shield and buckler [is] His truth.

 

Nourishment for the soul and the body

Second Side of the Kite Frame

Whole foods without an ingredient label nourish our very cells.  Living foods add oxygen, minerals, enzymes, and vitamins in their most bioavailable means.  I especially like lemon water and warm water with lemon for its healing properties and refreshment.  When keeping the body in perspective of being the temple of the Holy Spirit, it’s much easier to ask why would I eat a non-nutritious food (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

 

Listening prayer, meditation, and study are the nourishment not found elsewhere.  Realizing the Torah was oral tradition prior to being penned and living prior to being written along with the other Scriptures we have as a guide are precious as are the living words He speaks to our hearts today through the Holy Spirit, which will always confirm the written Word.  (Matt.4:4)

 

Exercise and Movement! 

Third side of the Kite Frame

I personally find this the most challenging, especially when the weather isn’t conducive.  Our bodies were designed for it!  Oxygen to the cells, boosting neurotransmitters to focus and reduce anxiety, cleansing of the lymph nodes, and the added benefit of endorphins (1 Cor. 6:19-20)!

 

Adequate Sleep/Deliberate Weekly Sabbath

Fourth side of the Kite Frame

Shabbat was made for man, a gift of God to replenish.  He knew we needed rest.  For some, it is a sacrifice of the to-do list to lay it down and rest for a day (Mark 2:27).  Taking a vacation is also a way of replenishment.

It is when each of these is strong; there is balance in a traditional kite frame.  Looking closer, the strength in the center supporting the four sides is none other but in the shape of a cross, a supportive strength that allows the kite to rise and to soar!

   Then there is the glorious tail of the kite!

These can include all of those essential nourishing things one may add to their life.  Some could entail dry brushing, essential oils, stretching, supplements, tea, sunshine, nature, and the list could go on.  Each individual would find what best helps them balance.  These are some of my favorites!

 

Yet, without the wind, there would be a lack of soaring…

The wind carries the whole kite and ties in beautifully to Psalms 91 of His pinions, or flight feathers!

The wind here represents the Holy Spirit and the Truth; the truth of the Word before it was penned from oral tradition and the truth resonating with the inward witness of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life.

It is when one places emotions, feelings, and desires behind this Truth, that there lies a true confidence, a living confidence, one that is found in Him, with Truth as the anchor.

 

The pace and height of the soaring is set by the One at the end of the string, none other than Father God, smiling at seeing His creation soar to its fullest potential and bringing glory by bearing His name.  He is able to set the pace when yielded to him, always unstressed and unhurried at a peaceful pace.  He holds the kite string, and in His character, both pure and predictable, can be trusted.

I pray you were encouraged with this analogy.  My thoughts are with other special needs parents, especially in the wake of the disillusionment of hearing reality slip off as a diagnosis upon the lips of a MD.  We are all in a process of becoming, of balancing, of soaring, and trusting the One with the Kite String, even in the midst of turbulent winds.  He alone can be a secure and confident place to dwell.

May this song, nourish and encourage you to soar.  It is very dear to my heart as my loving God used it so powerfully in the first year of our son’s diagnosis to minister the weary recesses of my heart where I was out of balance, and not soaring even the smallest wee bit.  The beautiful truth is, he can repair any kite and allow it to soar again!

 

You Raise Me Up (link here)

And for the fun and whimsical side:  Let’s Go Fly A Kite! Mary Poppins Link