Just Keep On Pedaling

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3:1-8

Key Verses: Proverbs 3:5-6
               Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways
                acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

At first I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like the President. I knew He was out there, but I didn't really know Him. But later on when I recognized God, it seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that God was in the back helping me to pedal. I don't know when it was that He suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since. Life without God, that is. God makes life exciting! When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points. But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, through rocky places, and at breakneck speeds! It was all I could do to hang on! Even though it looked like madness, He said, "Pedal!" I was worried and anxious and asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn't answer. I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I'd say "I'm scared," He would lean back and touch my hand. He took me to people with gifts that I needed- the gifts of healing, acceptance, and joy. They gave me their gifts to take on my journey- our journey, God's and mine. And we were off again. He said, "Give the gifts away. They're extra baggage, too much weight." So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light. I did not trust Him in control of my life at first. I thought He would wreck it. But He knows bike secrets. Hahaha. He knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners, jump to clear high rocks, fly to shorten scary passages. And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion, God. And when I'm sure I just cannot do any more, He smiles and says, "Pedal!"

When some people say, "Oh, life is so boring I don't even want to get up in the morning," we can't comprehend that kind of travel. We find life so exciting that our feet bound out of bed each day anticipating what God has in store for us. Each day is a real adventure. Many days God just says, "Come along and trust me." It would be nice to know every detail, what lies beyond each ridge and what's around each of the corners of life, but God very patiently says, "Just trust me. You do the pedaling and I will do the leading." Our reply is often, "Are you sure that You know the way? What if you make a mistake in my life? But, God, I have never been this way before. What if...." The dialogue can go on for hours,days, months, but eventually we arrive to the point where we say, "God, You lead and I'll keep on pedaling." As the key verse says today, we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not on our own understanding. That's so hard to do if we're not used to turning over our lives to Someone who is bigger than us. Just relax and let God be all that He says He is- TRUSTWORTHY.