Kites fuel flights of fancy, but they also require some practice. Sometimes it’s a challenge. You need a combination of puffy wind, solid craftsmanship, and an up-up-and-away attitude. Releasing that soaring shadow gives you and your kids the sensation of being in the air as well: darting and diving, mischievous as the kite.

To make one from scratch, look online or in the library for help. You’ll be amazed at the possibilities. Or purchase a sturdy one at a toy store. Either way, make the kite-building part of the adventure. Allow enough time and be sure you have a secluded locale for the construction. This is one time when you definitely don’t want too much wind.

Next comes launch and liftoff. Your experience may be similar to that of many other would-be highflyers: multiple crash landings, then success, then more spectacular dives. Just as you think you’ve gotten that kite airborne, gravity grabs hold and yanks earthward.

Logical explanations fail you. The kite seems bent on going where it will. Talk about how God’s ways are kind of like that kite. We can watch Him working and think we have everything figured out and then, bam! He switches course and we begin to lose altitude.

Behind-the-scene forces are invisible to us, but not to God. We may never understand, but He already does. Translation: the world isn’t a random, scary place. Meaning and order abound because God’s in control.

When a kite crashes, we try again. We extend the tail, pull harder on the string, or pick a less-windy day. Whatever it takes. That’s how we should live our lives. God put hope within, along with the desire to grow. Assist your kids in getting that stubborn kite into the air, then step back and watch it soar.