Not only did he turn 7, but it was time for him to move up to the big boy bike. The one where he can take the training wheels off and ride like the big kid that he actually is. He saw his gift and he was determined to ride like a champ.
So, we headed off to the lake in our town. The one with the beautiful scenery and the paved path around it. A perfect place to stroll and ride your new wheels. I wasn't sure if he could endure the entire 2+ miles around the lake, but the kid was determined...as long as it involved avoiding getting "duck poop on the wheels" (his words, not mine...but I totally understand)!
The stroll was going well, he was riding like a champ. Stopping to occasionally let his Dad and I catch up and we had no duck poop on the wheels. We had avoided any and all collisions with people, ducks and dogs. Until....the last half mile.
Apparently, the kid began to get a little over confident. We were about to walk down another hill and we gently encouraged him to use the brakes because he wasn't used to so much speed. Finn and his bike took a tumble right in front of an elderly lady, who I really thought was going to cry herself when the tears began to pour down Finn's face. After assuring both of them that he was fine (there was no blood), he hopped back up on the bike and began to pedal at a slower pace.
Several yards later, Finn hit an unexpected dip in the pavement and the bike turned left and tumbled out of Finn's control. It looked bad, but Finn was laughing and the words "that was awesome" came out of his mouth. Until...he saw the blood. Then...oh the tears, the screams. Red blood was coming out of both knees and one elbow. And of course because I think that everything is going to go perfectly, I stood there with no band aids and one crumbled tissue. Drying the blood on a bench Finn sobbed "I'm never riding that bike again because it always just wrecks me!"
I thought of my own plans for my life and all of the hardships that I have endured in recent seasons. So many times I have had big dreams, but when things have not gone my way or when my plans seem to hurt me I too slam my bike down and say "never again". Because even in our minds, we do not take account that things will go any way other than perfectly. My plans have just "wrecked me" so many times. But thankfully
"his ways are not our ways"
Isaiah 55:8
When our plans seem to wreck us, we have to cling to the faith that sometimes God has something better in mind. Or, he may be waiting for us to call out to him to accomplish his plans for our life. When we see that we can not do it all on our own and we need the strength from the Heavenly Father, He gets the glory. We were created for Him to receive all glory because He is all powerful and mighty.
So, just like Finn did just moments later. We can hop back on our bike, even though it's scary after such a big fall. We can ride with confidence that he has got us every step of the way and we can finish the path around the lake.
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