We hear the phrase, "It's like riding a bike" all the time.  Usually it refers to remembering.  No matter how long it's been since you've rode your bike, more than likely you can pick it back up with no problems.

But how many of us remember the very first day the training wheels came off?  For some reason I remember that day very clearly.  For some reason, (this part I don't remember), my training wheels were already off and the bike had spent more time on the kick stand than on the road.  We were having a garage sale and someone asked if the green bike with the banana seat (remember those!) was for sale.  Boy!  I remember this as if it was yesterday!

My Mom took one look at me and said, "I'm not sure, is it?"  I knew then, if I wanted to keep my bike, I needed to learn how to ride it without the training wheels!

Think about it for a moment.  We as grown-ups know that riding a bike will take some time and may even come with a few falls and scrapes, but it will come.  And on the other side of this life lesson will be hours and hours of fun and adventure.  Every child must go through this learning experience and we know that once they do, they will be a much more productive kid!

But think about it from the kid's perspective....
You're taking away their security!  Up to now, they've been able to hop on that bike without having to think about balance and all the other things that make you stay up on the bike.  After you take off the training wheels, they are now responsible for holding themselves up.


All of these, to a child, can be very scary!  It can even make them not want to learn or experience the freedom of no training wheels.  We know as adults, if they fall and skin their knee...


We have a grown-up perspective.  We know what the other side of training wheels looks like.  So we can confidently & compassionately guide our children through the perils of learning to ride a bike.


Now.... am I comparing losing my husband to a skinned knee? Absolutely not!!!  However, if I think about all my life's experiences from my Heavenly Father's perspective... if I adopt a Kingdom mindset on my current trials - it at the very least might be a similar scenario.

Listen to what James says about our life:


Did you catch that?  We're only here for just a little while!  So what seems HUGE to us, from His perspective is not huge at all.  Perhaps it's like a skinned knee.  Something He's definitely going to kiss & make better... Something He's going to comfort me through... But also something that will definitely heal.  He knows that with His help we can get back up.  And that we will learn to ride without those elements of security... if only we would adopt His perspective.




What has been your training wheels?  Does it feel like God took them off prematurely?  That you weren't quite ready and now you're living life wobbly and always on the brink of falling?