Training Wheels

Training Wheels. These words have come up more than twice in the last few days and therefore have caught my attention. I don't remember my own experience of having my training wheels removed, but I do remember my Lila's experience. She was the last child of mine to have them removed and I have it on video, so naturally...

It was a glorious day. Victorious and beautiful. We took those things off, strapped the helmet tightly to her head, and she climbed on her big girl bicycle. She was nervous and shaky and did NOT want me to let go. She was so afraid of being hurt, that we started on the grass. This way, if she fell, it wouldn't hurt as bad. I grabbed a firm and steady hold on the seat and the handlebars and we began our trot. 

"Pedal! Pedal! Pedal!" I encouraged her as I ran alongside her. "Don't stop pedaling! Just keep going!" As soon as my hands left her bike, she was off. Pedaling harder and faster and feeling so very proud of herself. When she looked back at me, there I was. Watching her like a hawk and cheering her on. Never taking my eyes off of her. It was glorious.

But I can't help but think... what if she had stopped pedaling? What if she hadn't trusted me and followed my instructions? What if she had let her fear overtake her? She would've fallen. She would've been hurt. She might not have gotten back on that bike for awhile. That is life isn't it? That is what we continue to do over and over on our walk with God, isn't it?

We get on this journey and it's exciting and new and nerve wracking and wonderful. Then things start happening. Circumstances change and hurts come. We start to get afraid that we will be hurt or uncomfortable or inconvenienced. We can't see the end in sight and we want to know every detail of our path laid out on a perfect little guidebook in front of us. We get shaky. Our faith starts to tremble as we become unsure if God can really get us through this. We start to doubt His great faithfulness. 

So we stop pedaling. We let go. We fall off the path. We decide to trust ourselves instead of God. Things fall apart and we look around, wondering where it all went so wrong.

Here is the crazy thing, though. If we would just swallow our fears and trust God, if we would just continue on the path and choose to keep pressing in to Him, we would finally come to see the glorious victory that lies ahead! We would finally feel the wind through our hair and the accomplishment of completing the hard path we just took. We would keep pedaling and feeling even more free by the minute. Sure, we might fall here and there. But we will get back up. Get back on the bike, knowing and trusting that we will ride just as well as we had before, because we had already experienced the victory! We can remind ourselves of the places we have been, the journey we have traveled, and the victories God has accomplished through us. That will fuel us and motivate us to continue on.

Jeremiah  29:11"... For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Trust Him. Trust the process. Even when you don't understand it. Even when everything in you wants to give up. I promise you, it will be worth it on that victory ride.