A beautiful paper kite was flying high in the sky. It was brightly colored, with long, curly tassels and a long string. The paper kite was so high above all the trees and other kites, it was giddy with excitement. Admiring itself, it said loudly, “Oh look at me flying so gracefully! If I were free, I could go far away.” The paper kite tugged at its string, as it wanted to fly right through the clouds and above the eagles. However, the string was strong and held it tight. The paper kite impatiently tugged at its string again, and the string broke. The paper kite was full of joy. It tried to fly higher but suddenly, it started falling. The paper kite tried with all its might to stay up, but it kept coming down. Free of its string, the paper kite had become too heavy and could not control itself. It drifted towards the sea and was washed away in the tide. The paper kite cried, “Oh poor me! I wanted to fly higher and higher. Look what I got for being so proud.”
Teaching Through Story-telling
Our Savior, Jesus Christ, taught his gospel through stories and parables. The stories he used fit the times and circumstances of the people. He trained his followers to look at life with spiritual eyes so they too could see gospel messages in everyday situations. Fables and tales have been passed down from all generations with this same purpose. While many of these classic tales still convey morals and meaning, over time some have lost their original spiritual connection. Let’s take a second look at a classic tale of an arrogant kite and search for what the Savior would see in its message to the reader.
The Symbols in the Kite Story
Everything has symbolism: the kite, the wind, the string, and even though he is not mentioned, the one holding the string is also a key figure. We represent the kite—we are free spirits who wish to run and explore life like a child on his first outing at a carnival. The wind represents the world and all of its choices, both good and bad. The string represents the commandments of God, or following the gospel of Jesus Christ. And who is holding on to the string? Our Heavenly Father himself is the kite master. When we understand the different roles in play, we can see the message our Savior would have us learn in this story.
The Meaning of the Story
“And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper and shall be led to a land of promise; yea even a land which I have prepared for you yea, a land which is choice above all lands.” (1Nephi 2:20)
We are spirit sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father. And like sending a kite off into the sky, he sent us to earth to experience what life has to offer. Just as the kite sails to all points in the sky, we too can experience so much good during our lives here on earth. But our Father in Heaven knew more. He knew there would be good things to experience as well as harmful things. This is like the wind in the story. As the kite floats and flies through the wind, we too explore our choices and opportunities in life—our winds can be smooth or turbulent. Heavenly Father knew we would need help in negotiating the winds of life. So he gave us a set of commandments to follow. These rules are like the string on the kite. One end is held firmly by a loving Father, the other is tied to us. The commandments are our spiritual connection to our origin, our roots, our maker, our home. They also allow us to explore great heights in our lives: spiritual, intellectual, temporal and emotional. They allow us to feel joy and pain, yet all the while keep us connected to our heavenly home. This connection keeps our perspective clear as we can easily see both our roots and our destination. As long as the string is not broken the kite remains high in the air and flies freely through the windy sky. So too, as long as we stay connected to our Heavenly Father by keeping his commandments, we can negotiate the winds of change in our own lives.
Forgetting and Remembering
“And now my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ the Son of God that ye must build your foundation.” (Helaman 5:12)
The skies are filled with endless possibilities. It is easy to understand why the kite wanted to explore beyond the tether of the string. Likewise, it may be easy for us sometimes to wish we could try things that are beyond the reaches of the commandments. In fact, this happens daily as none of us are perfect. We break our connection to our Heavenly Father. Thankfully, he has given us back-up strings—ways to reconnect. Prayer, repentance, taking the sacrament to renew our covenants and simply trying better tomorrow are all ways we can reconnect with our heavenly roots. Unlike in the kite story, we are never truly disconnected from our kite master; as long as we remember our back-up string is just as binding, just as strong, and just as available if we but reach for it when we need it.
Blind Obedience vs. Eye-Opening Faith
“Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.” (Ether 12:6)
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There are many people who mock the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. They insist that following commandments, following the Savior, believing in things that cannot be seen is a form of blind obedience. They are like the kite who wants to break free of the string. They do not understand the protective nature the commandments have to our spiritual souls. They are quick to see physical laws in nature, but they have forgotten that spiritual laws are just as real, just as powerful, and have consequences that are just as binding. Those who mock the faithful for their obedience may not understand the process by which the faithful have made their choices—through heartfelt prayer, listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and experimenting upon the word of God. There is nothing that can compare to the feeling of peace that one feels after choosing to follow the Lord. It may mean loneliness in the world as others abandon you. But the Savior never will. In fact he will magnify his love for you and make up the difference. There is nothing blind about this kind of faith—on the contrary, it is eye-opening in every sense of the word, and most importantly it is redemptive. Not only will you not crash like the paper kite, you will overcome spiritual death through the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ, your Lord.
Let’s Go Fly a Kite
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)
I don’t remember our family flying kites together—I was too young. I would love to try kite-flying again someday. Until then, I can look at kite-flying from the spiritual side, and realize I am flying high every day when I decide to face life with my eye single to the glory of God. Keeping the commandments to the best of my abilities each day is like flying through the skies under the protective wing of a loving Heavenly Father. Exploring the currents of life, diving into pockets of sunshine, dodging through clouds of sorrow all the while tethered to my spiritual heritage—this is true freedom. It keeps my eternal perspective in plain sight and allows me to see the blessing that wait just beyond the horizon.
Nanette O'Neal loves the gospel and is very happy to share her testimony on LDS Blogs. She is a convert to the church and still feels the spirit burn strong within her heart. She graduated from Mason Gross School of the Arts with a degree in music education and has taught children and adults in the private and public sphere for over twenty years. Nanette continues to study the gospel and the art of writing. She writes weekly inspirational articles on her blog and is currently working on an LDS fantasy novel series, A Doorway Back to Forever. You can find her at NanetteONeal.blogspot.com. Nanette has a wonderful husband, talented son, and three beautiful dogs.
