October 2, 2026
Two of our granddaughters received new bikes for Christmas. Our weather has not been very good since Christmas as it’s either been raining, windy, or just plain cold. This past weekend was a beautiful one.
So on Sunday afternoon, my husband Wayne loaded up two bikes and two granddaughters, Lottie who is six and Liza who is nine, and took them up to the elementary school to ride their new bikes on the track. They both had recently learned to ride without training wheels, however the bikes they received for Christmas were a little larger than the bikes they had learned to ride on.
Wayne, still recovering from his foot surgery, was not able to run very far behind them to get them started. Lottie is the independent, daring, "I can do it myself" child. She didn’t want Wayne to help her at all.
She didn’t have her pedals situated correctly, so needless to say when she would start by herself she would instantly hit the brakes which would end in a fall. Wayne would offer to help and she would adamantly decline.
She must have fallen about 10-15 times. Of course, if you ask Lottie she will say it was 100. Finally, she let Wayne show her how to position the pedals so that when she started they would be in a forward position for her to keep on turning and pedaling instead of hitting the brakes. After she decided to listen, and receive some assistance and direction, she rode her bike like a champ.
Liza, on the other hand, is the cautious child. She wants the security of a sure thing.
She wanted Wayne to hold the bike while she got on, however she would lean to the side so her feet could still touch the ground. She didn’t quite trust that Wayne would hold the bike for her. Of course with her leaning and Wayne not being able to run, she would not make it very far at all before she and her bike fell over.
She got a little frustrated with Wayne. Finally, she stated she “was done.” Wayne assured Liza he was just trying to help her out. He explained he couldn’t run or walk very far and her question back to him was, “Then why are you even doing this?” Wayne said, “Liza, because I love you."
There was a moment of silence and then Liza agreed to try again. She learned to correct her leaning and trust Wayne to hold her until she was secure. Soon she, like Lottie, was riding like a champ.
I was amused and laughing as Wayne was relaying this story. Almost instantly I felt as though God was convicting me of some of the same things. You see I can be independent and think, “I can do this myself,” just like Lottie.
At times I seem to try everything in my power to work things out and figure them out on my own. It might take a few times, but then I hear that still small voice of God. He gently reminds me to bring all my concerns, issues, needs and worries to Him.
I am so guilty of trying to work it all out on my own. I’m sure the Lord must think, "When is she going to learn?" But, you know what? He patiently waits for me to come to Him, seek His direction, and follow His instructions even after I try and fail what seems like 100 times, just like Lottie.
He is there, always. When I finally come to my senses and seek Him, He never lets me down. One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11 which talks about God knowing the plans for my life. If you look at Jeremiah 29:13, it says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
I need to remember that God wants me to seek Him to fulfill the plans for my life. He wants me to depend on Him for direction and instruction in my life. He will show me the way I should go if I seek Him.
I can also be like Liza. I want the security of my feet on the ground and a sure thing. I want to know that I am not stepping out into the unknown. Basically, I am saying I trust myself more than I choose to put my trust in God.
I don’t know why I have not learned that I really can’t trust myself or control anything or any situation. I am not in control, God is.
When I lean on Him and not myself, there is freedom. Freedom to trust. If I trust God, not only is there freedom but I exercise my faith in God to walk me through what may seem like the unknown to me, but it’s never the unknown to God.
Just like Wayne reminded Liza that he loved her, God gently reminds me He loves me and I can trust Him. He is my sure thing and my security in this life.
I instantly think of Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Trust in Him and lean on Him when you don’t understand. He loves you!
God reminded me of important lessons from the girls riding their bikes. He reminded me the same lessons can be used in life, because I can assure you that I am not getting on a bike by myself anytime soon.
However, in my mind, I am going to be riding a two-seater bike sitting behind my precious Savior. I will lean on Him, trust He knows the direction, and I will hang on to Him with all my strength. I will trust Him to lead me along the path that He wants me to follow, knowing He loves me more than I can even imagine.
I think I’ll just keep allowing God to do the pedaling and trust Him as I ride. Who will you lean on, hold on to, and trust as you “ride” through life?
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Jill Johnson, a staff member at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother and Georgian. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.
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