(A song title by Bob Dylan)
I still remember my sister taking me riding on the freeway for the first time with my new motorcycle. It was my first ever motorcycle and not too long after I had just learned to ride. I've driven a car long enough to know you don't play games on the freeway. You drive (or be driven over). So, rather determined to not let fear get the better of me, I bravely excelled nearly full throttle. "Hmm, not bad. at. all," I thought, feeling pretty impressed with myself, but the faster I rode the more aware I became how strongly the wind was blowing against my body. It took effort to keep my knees pressed tightly against the tank so my legs wouldn't flap in the wind, not to mention the over sized bowling ball on my head (helmet). I thought I was going to pull a muscle in my neck for sure. Thankfully it was just a short ride to start off with. I could just see myself flying right off the handle - quite literally!
It's been just over a year now since I started riding - a whole year's more experience, more confidence, more wisdom and a whole lot of increased upper body strength.
When you first give your life to the Lord it is a lot like starting out to ride a motorcycle for the first time. All you think about is the adventures you're gonna have, the wide, open spaces, the sun on your face, the wind in your hair. Aah, that's life. Then you slowly realize how expensive all the safety gear is, you get caught in the rain and soaked to the bone, a cable snaps, a tire blows out and the hair is one big tangled mess by the time you arrive. In other words, you imagine this perfect life with no more disappointments, no heart ache, your husband will finally take the trash out and the kids will finally behave. Heck, maybe now you'll finally meet "Mr Right". Now that you've met Jesus things will finally start going right for you. But then years pass and still no "Mr Right". You (or your spouse) gets retrenched. Your best friend betrays you. Your kids get mixed up with the wrong crowd. You still gain weight when you eat too much and move too little. You're tempted to wonder "where was Jesus when...?" This is not what I ordered. Take it back.
If there's one thing I can promise you, it is that the winds of adversity will blow on this ride of life. Sometimes it may be a gentler breeze and sometimes so strong you'll just want to pull over and crawl in a ditch, maybe even wonder why you ever got on the bike to begin with.
But one thing I can assure you from personal experience is that, if you would just hold on tight and set your heart and your hope on trusting Christ, you will grow. You will grow in strength to endure, grow in wisdom to learn even when you lose, grow in discernment so you'll recognize the strategies of the devil to distract you from the right path, grow in courage to stand up to the enemy rather than run and hide, grow in compassion as you experience God's love and mercy first hand in your own weakness and suffering, grow in love as you realize that He first loved you, grow in joy as you realize that the struggle is refining you for greater purpose, grow in liberty as He strips the shackles of the past from your ankles so you can dance again, and grow in hope of an eternity with Christ when all is said and done.
This adventure is not for the fainthearted. So take courage, if you would just trust Him and never let go I am convinced that you're going to like where He's taking you!
It's been just over a year now since I started riding - a whole year's more experience, more confidence, more wisdom and a whole lot of increased upper body strength.
When you first give your life to the Lord it is a lot like starting out to ride a motorcycle for the first time. All you think about is the adventures you're gonna have, the wide, open spaces, the sun on your face, the wind in your hair. Aah, that's life. Then you slowly realize how expensive all the safety gear is, you get caught in the rain and soaked to the bone, a cable snaps, a tire blows out and the hair is one big tangled mess by the time you arrive. In other words, you imagine this perfect life with no more disappointments, no heart ache, your husband will finally take the trash out and the kids will finally behave. Heck, maybe now you'll finally meet "Mr Right". Now that you've met Jesus things will finally start going right for you. But then years pass and still no "Mr Right". You (or your spouse) gets retrenched. Your best friend betrays you. Your kids get mixed up with the wrong crowd. You still gain weight when you eat too much and move too little. You're tempted to wonder "where was Jesus when...?" This is not what I ordered. Take it back.
If there's one thing I can promise you, it is that the winds of adversity will blow on this ride of life. Sometimes it may be a gentler breeze and sometimes so strong you'll just want to pull over and crawl in a ditch, maybe even wonder why you ever got on the bike to begin with.
But one thing I can assure you from personal experience is that, if you would just hold on tight and set your heart and your hope on trusting Christ, you will grow. You will grow in strength to endure, grow in wisdom to learn even when you lose, grow in discernment so you'll recognize the strategies of the devil to distract you from the right path, grow in courage to stand up to the enemy rather than run and hide, grow in compassion as you experience God's love and mercy first hand in your own weakness and suffering, grow in love as you realize that He first loved you, grow in joy as you realize that the struggle is refining you for greater purpose, grow in liberty as He strips the shackles of the past from your ankles so you can dance again, and grow in hope of an eternity with Christ when all is said and done.
This adventure is not for the fainthearted. So take courage, if you would just trust Him and never let go I am convinced that you're going to like where He's taking you!
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