Let's imagine for a moment... since this is written to mainly women.. I am going to talk as such. Close your eyes and think about learning to ride a bike. I see this little girl about five or six with a pink skirt right above her knees. She has on a crisp white T-shirt with lace edging around the collar and sleeves. Her long blond hair is tied up in pigtails complete with pink bows tied to perfection. She is so excited because she has just learned how to ride her bike all by herself. Can't you just see her?
She is riding up and down her little gravel driveway. Each trip she gets braver and braver, pedaling faster and faster, even standing up as she pumps the pedals and feels the wind whisking through her flying pigtails. Her dad is sitting on the back steps with a big grin on his face as she is calling to him, "Look daddy how fast I can go!"
Then suddenly, somehow she accidentally runs over a stick in the road, it kicks up and gets caught in her spokes. The bike instantly comes to a screeching halt and she flies over the handlebars only to have gravel dig into her pretty little knees and elbows. Her perfect pigtails droop more like a pitiful puppy dog.
Her dad, of course, was already running to her rescue because he saw the stick as it was stopping her and was up on his way to care for her before she was even hurt. She is sitting there on the gravel, tears rolling down her face. She has blood on her elbows just enough to stain her pretty white shirt and knees skinned up just enough to burn. As her dad gets to her, she reaches up for her "daddy" just waiting to be comforted.
Her dad grabs her up in one swoop and holds her close as he pats her back and stokes the blond bangs out of her eyes. "It will be ok honey. Let's go get you cleaned up." He pulls her close as her tears of disappointment, pain and fear flow down her cheek.
They go in the house, he cleans up the mess she has made of her knees and elbows and wipes the blood off her pretty little shirt. He gets the band-aides... more than she needs of course, but enough to make her feel secure... puts them on the cuts and even the little scrapes, and kisses each "boo boo" to make it better. He gives her another reassuring hug and tells her sometimes that happens and we just have to get up and try again. With another kiss to the forehead he goes back outside and this time holds the bike and walks with her until she gains the confidence she needs to ride free again.
Do you know what I just did? I just described what our Heavenly Father does when we get a stick in our spokes. YOU are that beautiful little girl. Yes, you may have just flown off the handlebars of life right now. You are sitting there in tears. You have cuts and wounds... some may even leave scars. You may have stained up the pretty white shirt you love to wear. But I want you to know right now that GOD is running to you! He saw you getting ready to fall. He is reaching out to you, ready to pick you up.
God is saying to you right now, "It's ok honey. Let's go get you cleaned up."
You know all you have to do is reach out your arms! Let God pull you in close to Him. Let him wipe away your tears. Let him give you more band-aides that you even need. Let him kiss your boo boos. Rest in His caring arms today!
Yes... you will have to get back on the bike and ride again. But God is going to be right by your side. He is going to hold the bike again. He is going to be right by your side while you learn to ride with confidence again.
Don't give up on riding! It won't be long until you are riding carefree enjoying the breeze whisking through your hair again. God loves you. Let Him comfort you today!
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