God knew what He was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines as the life of His  Son... We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in Him. -Rick Warren’s reflection of Romans 8:29 (The Purpose Driven Life)

 

It was one of those conversations with the girls. Finally, Girls’ Night Out! We each had a distinct perspective on our relationships with our husbands. We laughed and sighed together throughout the individual comments and observations. “Men are From Mars?” We agreed, definitely! We were not bashing our husbands, just being real about it -- relating with other women who “get it” as we do. Men often see the same things in a totally different light. I likened our relationship to that of a kite.

 

Grounded

 

That evening when the girls had asked me why I equated our relationship to a kite, I was able to illustrate for them that a kite without a string can’t fly and that string without the kite has no purpose -- they complement one another and they need each other. In our marriage I was the string; Rob was the kite. Oddly, I had always been a kite, dancing in the wind through all of my adventures unafraid to soar. He was now the kite and it forced me to be the one on the ground. I became the “grounded” one. It happened almost imperceptibly, but ultimately quite an adjustment. It was God’s plan all along; it was my intended “shape.”

 

Together we could complement each other’s lives. If the kite has enough wind (but not too much), and if the string is making subtle adjustments as needed, then the experience is going to be much more pleasing to the string and the kite. Just as two people cannot drive the same car at the same time, we both couldn’t be the kite.

 

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted (grounded) and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.    --Colossians 2:6-7 NIV

 

The Revelation

 

Shortly after “Girls’ Night Out” on our recent vacation, our boys attended an all-day adventure camp. Rob and I were joyfully faced with the decision of what to do with ourselves for the whole day. We could do whatever we wanted to do! We mutually chose to sit in a restaurant cafe overlooking the lake and just hang out with each other and a good book or two. We were very relaxed and content as we ordered a second pot of tea, contemplated lunch, and started to chat. I am not sure how it came up, but we were talking about our relationship and I revealed to him my kite theory. His face lit up as I gave him my brief description of our respective roles, kite and string. Without hesitation he responded that if I hadn’t been there on the ground these past fifteen years holding on to that string as I had, he would have crashed and burned by now! I was startled by his quick observation. Then he added, “And our boys are the tail; they bring us stability.”

 

With further reflection of our conversation, Rob’s revelation made me aware of another fact; if God had not been holding on to my string and gently reeling me in when I was going too far or giving me a gentle, or sometimes not so gentle, tug when I needed it, I would have crashed and burned by now! I am ever so thankful that God is holding the string (both mine and Rob’s) and that He gave us our boys, Spencer and Alec, for stability. He was shaping my path and my purpose. I am happily the string in our marriage to fulfill His will. I am grateful that I have been shaped by Him, to be “grounded” for my husband and our boys so that they (we) can dance in the wind and soar as He intended, as on eagles wings!

 

God knew what He was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines as the life of His Son... We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in Him. --Rick Warren’s reflection of Romans 8:29 (The Purpose Driven Life)