Learning. Not Lingering.

Seven or eight years ago my oldest son, Benjamin, decided he was ready to ride a bike without training wheels. Some of the neighbor kids were doing it and he said he was ready too.

I found a wrench in the clutter of our garage and took the remaining training wheel off his little bicycle. He went and found Amber. He put his helmet on. We all walked over to the parking lot across the street from our house. It’s not a very big parking lot. About twenty spaces or so. It’s usually empty and that afternoon was no exception.

A kid riding a bicycle for the first time is one of those moments a parent waits for. Like walking for the first time or saying those first words or the first day of Kindergarten.

He was simultaneously excited and apprehensive. He knew the possibility of failure. Skinned knees or scraped elbows. He also knew of the possibility of success. A sense of accomplishment and riding his bike with his friends. 

I got behind him. I pushed the back of his seat as he pedaled and turned. He was doing exceptionally well. After a few laps I let go. He kept pedaling and I told him it was all him. And then he fell. As a little guy on a little bike he didn’t fall too far or too hard. But he fell. It wasn’t painless. It didn’t help his confidence. 

And then the moment of truth for Benjamin. Would he linger in his past or would he learn from it?

Our default is not to hop right back on the bike again. I’ve fallen off enough bikes (or something similar) to know such is the case. So I told him what a great job he was doing. I told him I wouldn’t let go until he is ready. I told him not to look back at me but to look forward at the road in front of him. 

He wanted to ride the bike. Lingering wouldn’t get him there. Learning would. He got back on the bike and pledged he was going to get past his past. A few minutes later, he was riding his bicycle all by himself.

Think about your spiritual life. Experiencing God’s grace. Hearing God voice through Scripture. Connecting to God and others through prayer. Living as a forgiven and forgiving person. Serving and loving the world like Jesus served and loved the world. I think you have fallen off your bike from time to time. I know I have.

Are we going to linger in our past and let our past define our future? Or are we going to learn from our past and get back on our bikes?

Paul fell off his bike a number of times. But he learned and didn’t linger:

I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. –Philippians 3:13-14

A bike somewhere is calling your name. It’s time to get back on and start pedaling.