Go Fly a Kite!

Sitting under my umbrella at the beach yesterday I watched firsthand an exercise in futility.
A very tanned father who was quite muscular matched only in proportion to his beer belly, wearing a bright blue paisley patterned speedo bathing suit was trying to fly a kite.
His daughter was so excited at the prospect.
The father pulled the kite out of the packaging.
The string was attached and away the kite went...
Only one thing was wrong, which the father could not figure out.
There was no cross bar on the kite to stabilize the wings. The little piece of wood that stretches across the back of the kite was missing.
The kite just flapped and flapped but could not ascend.
The kite could not do what it was made to do.
And here's the crazy part...
The father along with the daughter let out about eight feet of string and found muted delight in seeing this blob of colorful plastic flap in the wind about four feet off the ground.
After about ten minutes of this, the father pulled in the string, wrapped up the kite and placed it back in the bag.

My iWitness...

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16. 24)

If we are going to fly...
If we are going to soar...
If we are going to experience the thrill of ascending and dancing in this life like a colorful kite in the bright blue sky...
Then one thing is necessary - the cross, picking up the cross bar of Jesus and following Jesus wherever he leads.

This is so counterintuitive and counter cultural in our world today.
In a world of "look inward to go upward", "pull yourself up by your boot straps" and "just tap the inner energy", the idea of "denying myself" and strapping a "cross" on your back and then following "someone else" sounds just plain ridiculous.

But this is what I have found to be true over the last forty years or so...

When I strap on the cross bar of Jesus and let the wind of his Holy Spirit push against me and deny myself by just "letting go" - then I fly... I dance... I soar... I reach new heights I never thought achievable...I do that which God made me to be and do.

Here's our choice for the day...
Don't take up the cross and flap in the wind on the ground...
Or...
Take up the cross and fly baby fly...!!!

I know which one I will choose...
How about you?

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and fear not!
David!