All the big kids got to ride their bikes down that trail. Oh how I wished to be a big kid, to know how to ride a bike and go down that hill. Whenever my brothers wanted to ditch me, they would ride down the hill chanting over their shoulders "no babies allowed"
After what seemed like years of begging, my parents bought me a bike! A real life big kid bike! It was a pink huffy dirt bike with white tires AND training wheels. I rode up and down the street in front of our house. Safe and free with the training wheels on. I remember how I would wobble from left to right knowing the wheel on either side would "catch" me. I would go as fast as I could, protected with those extra wheels keeping me up.
Then the day came for the wheels to be removed. A friend's dad removed them, said I was ready. He said he would hold on to the seat while I rode till I could do it on my own. Scary!! Exciting!!! He ran beside me while I pedaled pedaled pedaled...I could hear my friends cheering for me. "You can do it! You can do it! You ARE doing it!" He let go and I was doing it...I was ridding my bike just like a big kid! I was flying, wind in my face.
"Look out big hill here I come!"
I fell a few times, skinned my knee, shed a few tears but someone always cleaned me up wiped my tears and put me back up on my bike. Before too long I wasn't new at it. I was going on bike rides with all the neighborhood kids. My brothers couldn't ditch me anymore...well not until they got cars. I went down that hill.
It was exhilarating!!!
We moved to a small town shortly after. Knowing how to ride a bike was a life saver that first summer. My brother and I had left all our friends and had only each other. We rode all the trails and roads around our house, had lots of adventures. It was my most memorable summer.
As a young Jesus follower I sometimes think my training wheels are still on. I long to go down the big kid trail. I see and hear my new brothers and sisters cheering me on. I have fallen a few times, skinned my knee and there have been tears. But always my friends wipe my tears and get me back on my bike.
The other day I sat with a friend, we talked about everything under the sun. I looked and saw that my training wheels were off. I was riding my bike all by myself. She encouraged me and I GOT to encourage her! I got to share my walk with Jesus with her. It was like that first summer, free without fear. We talked about the Lord, sharing back and forth.
It was exhilarating!!
Look out big kid hill, here I come!
