It was just the other day that my son learned how to ride a bicycle without training wheels. He had been resistant for a long time. He was fearful of course – of crashing, of the unknown, of the discomfort of learning something new. And he was satisfied with the ease of what he already knew: riding his scooter well.
But one day, we all headed out to a nice flat path that circles round a small lake. The sun smiled gently down on us as we trekked out. I walked beside my little girl who was trying to find the rhythm of pedaling with training wheels, as I watched my husband with my son. They set off a little and on the far side of the lake, my husband made quick work taking those training wheels off.
I watched this little boy – who isn’t quite so little anymore – meander at first. He stayed upright but coasted into the grass. And then he tried again. He pumped, found his balance, and began to pedal in earnest.
And then he flew.
No crashes, no tottering, heady with the delight of speed, he was simply ready.
I think we are often the same in our spiritual lives. We are fearful of the unknown, the uncomfortable. We are anxious of letting go of old habits, old ways of doing things. We’re not sure that we can make it on our own.
But we forget. We are not responsible for holding ourselves aloft. Instead, we must learn to trust.
And then we, too, can fly.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint. ~ Isaiah 40:29-31
Photo by Clark Young on Unsplash
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