Strings Attached

From today's Daily Bread:
Ray Bethell is a world champion kite flyer. He can make multiple kites twist and turn in such precision that they behave as if they are one.

"The Kite; or Pride Must Have a Fall."

by John Newton

a selection of a poem about a kite who dreamed of being cut free from its string

Were I but free, I'd take a flight,

And pierce the clouds beyond their sight,

But, ah! Like a poor pris'ner bound,

My string confines me near the ground.

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The kite does finally manage to tug itself free, but instead of soaring higher in the sky, it crashes into the sea.

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The analogy calls me to reconsider some "strings" that make me feel constrained. Vows. Promises. Commitments. Responsibilities. Although such things make me feel tied down, God uses them to hold me up. As James teaches, it is our willingness to be humbled (or held down) that God uses to lift us up. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James 4:10).

Before cutting any string, make sure it's not the one that's holding you up. -Julie Ackerman Link

Read James 4:1-10.