This morning my husband and I set our for a bike ride. A brilliant blue sky hung above us and the first kiss of fall found its way onto our cheeks as we began to zig-zag down the trail.
Biking hasn’t always been easy for me (okay, never). I do enjoy it—especially on flat pavement. But we live in a hilly part of the country and every ride is full of ups and downs (anyone else feel a spiritual analogy coming on?).
My husband is a great biker and my big break through came when he taught me how to use my gears. You see, I had been doing everything in the hardest gear. I was showing off, really. I thought if I could tackle the biggest, baddest hill in that gear then I must be good.
But that’s just silly. And I understood why when I learned you can make it easier to pedal just by a little flick of your fingers. Now my gear fits the terrain…I can adapt, shift, make the most of of where I am at the moment.
And when I flip it into just the right gear and it feels a little bit like flying…I feel JOY.
God has been given me some “gear lessons” in the rest of my life the last few months too. As on my mountain bike, I can be a bit intense. I think, “I’ll just do it all in the hardest gear. That will prove what a good little Christian I am.” Can anyone say “craziness”?
Instead the One Who Loves Me is gently showing me how to shift, adapt, allow seasons of rest with seasons of pushing hard. It has changed everything for me.
And when I flip my heart into just the right gear with Him and it feels a little bit like flying…I feel JOY.
What helps you find a little more joy?
reposted from the Joy Challenge
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