BIKER

***This Discipleship Thought was written in honor of F.A.I.T.H. Riders Ministry.  I had the great opportunity to spend some time at one of their bike rallies this week and I encourage you to check out how God is using this amazing ministry.  Click on their link at www.churchathtemall.com.

True Story.  Harry was in the front yard trying to teach his son Shane how to ride a small motorcycle that he had purchased for $50.  It looked like something that clowns would ride in a family circus. As Shane stood beside the bike, he grinned as if he were standing beside a Harley Davidson.  He had an adult sized helmet on….so big in fact that you could have fit two of his heads inside of it.  This was shaping up to be one of those Hallmark father and son moments.  As Harry was trying to explain the nuts and bolts of riding a motorcycle….Shane was looking off in the distance and saying what sons say at a time like this….
”I know, dad.” 

Harry was pointing out how to give it gas…and how to apply the brakes, how to lean in for the turn, and how keep your lower leg away from the 1,000 degree exhaust that a high caliber machine such as this would emit.  The boy…fidgeting with his helmet as it flopped from left to right kept responding with “I know, dad.”  “I know.”  Here this kid had never even seen a motorcycle before, yet in his mind, he already had a doctors degree In bikology. As Harry thought for a second, he realized that his son simply wasn’t listening to his instructions.  Here he was pouring out valuable information that was going to allow his son at an early age to enjoy the open road….or the open front yard at least….and his son didn’t seem the least bit interested in the helpful and even quite possibly…life saving….information.   Harry saw this as a teachable opportunity and he turned to his son and said. “Okay…since you already know how to ride…take off.”  Pretty risky time to pull out a teachable moment.  Dad’s are like that..aren’t we?  Harry’s hope was that the son would ride, the son would fail, and the son would come back to the father humbled by this experience with apology in hand and say ….”Father, I am ready to listen.”  His desire was for the son to simply see that he actually needed his dad’s instructions to be successful. His desire was for wisdom to be received….or at least acknowledged.

Harry placed Shane on the bike….held him up…and off it went.  That little seven year old boy zoomed across the front yard as if he had been riding for years…..then suddenly it was evident that he had not been riding for years…..as the bike was headed  straight for the front porch.  Like most of us in a situation like this…panic set in…and instead of hitting the brake, he just gave it more gas….then BANG…..right into the front porch. He flew five feet.  The helmet flew twenty. ( I just knew that the oversized helmet was a bad idea.) The little boy stood up and dusted himself off.  He wasn’t hurt too bad…..just a little jarred from the crash and a little dirty and skinned up.  His dad was quite thankful that he was okay.  He thought to himself, however, that THE MOMENT was about to occur.  You know…the moment where the son was going to come to the father and say  “I should have listened.  I should have received your instruction.”  He waited patiently for the son to come up and say those words.  Instead the young lad turned to his dad and walked over to him with his hands on his hips and stated  quite forcefully. ”Way to go dad…you pushed me too hard!!!!!”

Do you see yourself in the story?  I know I do.  How many times has God patiently been trying to give us instruction, point us in the right direction, tug at our heart, our will, our mind, our character?  How many times have we refused His guidance, looked away ….and with our spirit said…”I know, dad.”  The funny thing…not ha ha funny, but ironic funny is that most of the time when we don’t heed God’s instructions or don’t listen or even seek them, we actually think it is because we can do it better on our own.  We act like we have a “doctors degree in bikology” when in actuality we have never even seen a bike before. Furthermore, we believe that He is trying to keep us FROM experiencing something good, instead of providing us with the proper tools TO experience something good.  Harry was simply trying to equip the son to ride the bike…SO THAT…in the end the experience would be richer. 

……..AND then after our porch hitting failures….we come back to Him when we blow it and blame Him for allowing, not preventing, and often even causing the calamity that we brought upon ourselves!!!!!  Oh what a tangled web we weave…..  Quite simply folks….sometimes we are just a mess.  I am glad that God has a forgiving, loving, and caring  heart.  I am glad that even though time after time I say “I know, dad”…..that  time and time again….He is patient with me to teach and guide me the very next time. I wish I could be more like Him.  And that is the irony of it all.  That is what this lesson is all about..the helmet, the instructions, the pep talk before the ride…they are all tools…all words….all actions….that if followed…will make me and make you…more like Him. 

May we simply stop saying “I know, dad.”  May we learn to hear the Father.  May we learn to listen to the Father….and may we learn to heed the Father’s voice.  May we recognize that He isn’t trying to hinder the ride, but to enhance the ride.  May we not blame God for things that are our own fault.   May we not blame anyone.  May we go so far as to always replace excuses for ownership.   May we strive to be as forgiving and patient as our Father is.   May we desire to be like Him.  But most of all….may we ride.  May we recognize that we were built to live life out loud.  May we go live it in Him.

Dear friend, listen well to my words;
   tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times.
   Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;
   body and soul, they're bursting with health.

 Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
   that's where life starts.
Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth;
   avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
   ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
   and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
   leave evil in the dust.          Proverbs 4:20-27

This Discipleship Thought was originally created 10/26/10