Kite Flying

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go to the General Young Women Auxiliary Leadership Training Meeting. It was really uplifting. The last speaker talked about his mother and how she loved to fly kites with her father. One day she was flying a kite with her father when she was younger. She came up with the brilliant idea that if she let go of the kite it would fly even higher. Oh how she wanted to let this kite fly high into the sky. She even thought maybe I will break the world record of the highest a kite has flown. She asked her father if she could let go to let the kite fly higher. And her father replied with a simple no. She then asked again a few minutes later if she could let the kite go, wanting so badly to let it fly high. He again replied no that is not a good idea. She thought to herself I'm holding this kite down and if only I could let it go it could go even higher. So once more she asked her father if she could let the kite go to fly high in the sky. He replied no once more, and that it was not a good idea. But also told her it was her choice if she wanted to let go. So the little girl used her free agency and best judgement and let the kite go. Sadness came upon the little girl. For the kite did not fly high into the sky. The second she let go it flew sideways, then down down, and got tangled in the trees.
Lessons Learned:
"Sometimes the things that we think are holding us down are actually holding us up."
This is true in so many aspects. The one I would like to compare it to is the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the standards we are to live by. Following the commandments is not always easy. Following the Gospel is not always easy. Being the odd one out because of the standards you have is NOT always easy. Choosing to say no to that cute guys who asked you out on your first date because you are not 16 yet is not always easy. Putting on the modest dress even though it may not be as cute as everyone else's is not always easy. Saying NO to your friends, or simply stop being friends with them because the choices they are making aren't good choices is not always easy. Going through trials and tribulations in any part of life is not always easy. It is NOT always easy to be a member of the church. BUT it is worth it. Sometimes I think we tend to forget that when we are following these gospel principles and going through the hard times that it is for our good. If we do not remember that it is really those principles and Jesus Christ at the base holding us down we would not be flying at all. If we fail to recognize that the standards of the gospel are for our benefit and help us then we fail to fly. When we have Christ as our base, holding our string, that is when we are able to fly higher and higher. The more we put our trust in Him and follow His teachings, the stronger our string becomes which allows Christ to let us go higher. We can not go higher if we do not have the strength for it or we will break. We will lose our base. Trust in Him. Push through those hard times. Because if you do, when all is said and done your kite will be flying higher then you ever imagined. You will not be tangled in a tree. He is not holding us down. He is holding us up.