patriology:: entry 124

I do some of my best thinking in the shower. yesterday, I was in the shower, and the thought came to me to go and get a bike for jane. it was perfect bike riding weather out, and she seemed to be more and more interested in bikes recently. so after we got ready, we went over to target and picked out a pink and purple big-kid bike. not a tricycle- a big kid bike with training wheels.

we took it home, pulled it out of the box and got it all put together. Deanna got a matching helmet and a bell for the handlebars.

in the afternoon, we took it for a spin in our little parking lot. it took a little getting used to, but jane did really well. I walked next to her the entire time she was on it. sometimes I was in front of her, sometimes behind, sometimes right next to her. when she was about to fall I would catch her. sometimes I saved her and the bike, sometimes I just saved her to show her what would happen if she wasn’t paying attention or steering straight. there was this moment when I was walking next to jane; her handlebars started wobbling and I reached out one hand in front of her, one hand behind, ready to catch her. and I was reminded of a verse out of psalm 139, “You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” I think I took a step forward in understanding what that meant.

today jane and I took her bike to a trail near our house to get more bike-riding practice. as she was riding I walked next to her thinking about that verse. “this is how God deals with me. He follows me. He catches me. He rescues me. He does this more times than I even know- and I'm sure most of the time I’m completely unaware of it.”

that psalm goes on to say, “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.”

God watches over you and me like a father watches over his child riding a bike for the first time. sometimes we are rescued, sometimes we fall, but we are never alone.

this morning, on the trail, jane went down a little slope and her bike picked up speed. she panicked a bit. instead of letting her bike slow down on its own or hitting the brakes, she let go of her handlebar and reached out and grabbed me hand.
sometimes along my way I panic too. I could try to fix the problem myself, or I could reach out to the One who can rescue me. since He’s right there, its not a bad idea.

God is love.
-rev-rob