Kite Surfing and the Christian Life

Greetings from RESCUE! We hope you are having a wonderful God-filled July!

We spent our July 4th in Hood River, Oregon as part of the Independence Day celebration with several churches in that area. All of our wives were able to attend and my kids had a great time watching a stunt man flip a car in the parking lot, getting their faces painted, and playing in the water

The event was held at Covenant Christian Church which is situated within a few blocks of the mighty Columbia River. Because of the high winds and other factors, The city of Hood River is known as the windsurfing capital of the world. The day we were there the river was filled with kite surfers with their beautifully bright colored kites. It looked like so much fun to be out there being pulled around on the water by the wind.

What a picture of the Christian life! Prayer being the kite, we hold onto the cord of faith and follow the wind of God’s Spirit where he would lead us. We could say, “I feel that my personhood is not being fully valued in this relationship to the wind. I don’t feel that I am getting due credit for the work that I am doing. I think that if I am ever going to get the glory that’s coming to me, I am going to have to go it alone, without this tether!” If we are foolish enough to let go of the kite and go it alone, not only do we stop moving forward and put ourselves in danger, we also lose the joy that was intended for us.

I have seen in people’s lives and heard in their words that they feel their faith is simply tying them down and that their communication with God is a simple religious exercise designed as a measurement of their Christianity. They are under God’s thumb and none too happy about it!

Back to our analogy; while it is true that the direction of the wind, the velocity and the temperature are out of the control of the kite surfer, the amazing flips and turns that they can accomplish while being pulled along is nothing short of amazing. What’s my point? God designed you to experience the most possible joy when you are holding tightly to his direction and loving guidance. He does bring the heat sometimes, and sometimes the water gets a little choppy, but letting go of our faith is never the answer. He may be giving you direction that you may not like, but suffice it to say that if you will hold onto him and allow him to show you where he is taking you, you will find that His direction not only honors who you are as a person, but will allow you to find the very highest expression of who he created you to be.

Thank you for your communication with God on our behalf. We know that our songs would have little chance of being sung without your faithful prayers.