Photo by Susan PageAlthough my early childhood memories are vague at best, I know that I have always loved riding a bike. Back in the day, children rode three-wheelers until they were maybe 10 or 11. If your folks could scrape together the cash, a two-wheeler might have arrived for your 12th birthday. If memory serves me correctly, I had to master the skill of riding my new treasure by trial and error, although perhaps my older brother assisted in my early efforts.
Riding has always given me a sense of freedom and adventure. There are plenty of beautiful bike trails to explore and living two blocks outside of The Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail means opportunity is at my doorstep.
Have you ever noticed that it is okay if the outgoing ride is against the wind because you are fresh and full of energy? However, for the return journey as physical stamina wanes, all bikers are relieved when perfect aerodynamics combined with a nice tailwind is in place.
As I experienced the strain of biking home against a strong headwind the other evening it caused me to ponder my spiritual journey.
It seems to me that in the early years of my relationship with Jesus, the wind was at my back. I had youth on my side and the fresh breath of God’s Spirit indwelling me. The Church was vibrant, and community was strong. My friends and I were brimming with enthusiasm and optimism and we had the idea that the Christian ride was a relatively smooth one. After all, Jesus promised to give us life in abundance. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
As I journeyed the path, there were many interesting sights and experiences and life seemed to be filled with light breezes that gently moved me along. Oh, there were minor bumps in the road but no major interruptions. Life seemed so innocent and carefree and though one had to pedal hard at times, the momentum seemed rather consistent.
The shift in the wind occurred around mid-life as the gusts increased, sometimes with a ferocious howl. A relationship imploded; illness invaded the body. Loved ones were stricken with cancer and as their care demanded attention, I felt the battle was an uphill climb and my legs were losing their strength. There are not many who enjoy a straight uphill climb, wind or not, except perhaps a prized athlete.
Then came the unexpected detours, times when I had to take a new path, one that I felt ill-prepared for. This was not clearly laid out in the roadmap. I had not planned it or asked for it. It was unfamiliar. I felt incompetent, confused and not up to figuring out the unknown. There was oncoming traffic, blaring horns, and dense smog and I did not feel that sweet presence of peace and calm that one feels on the well-known route.
In biking terms, you feel completely derailed. You have given all you can, gone all out, but the chain is slipping, and the gears have jammed. You have a death grip on the handlebars and completely hit a wall. The brakes are on, and it hardly seems fair. Don’t we arrive at a place and time of life where we can coast?
Well, not according to God’s Word.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12: 1-3).
An often quoted and memorized biblical passage reminds us that even young people can grow weary, but those who wait on the Lord will have their strength renewed.
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40: 28-31).
So, we can enjoy the ride, even when our strength has been depleted because our Faithful Father knows what we need even before we ask. He is strong when we are weak. He understands exactly what we are trying to navigate. He gives fresh power and increases our strength when we feel faint to the point where we can soar with the feeling of the wind on our backs.
So, let’s stay the path and by faith, fix our eyes on Him in full dependence. Then, when those unexpected detours come, moment by moment, just when our legs are giving out, He will infuse us with renewed strength.
Susan Page is the daughter of the King, His beloved child, wonderfully forgiven and blessed! Susan longs to age gracefully, becoming more like Jesus as she seeks the hidden treasures revealed to her through Scripture, literature, the arts, humankind, and nature.