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Whoever said you never forget how to ride a bicycle was not entirely telling the truth -- a fact I learned the other day when my husband, Bruce, surprised me with the candy apple red "retro" bike I'd been admiring. I was thrilled. And although I hadn't ridden since high school, I ran to trade sandals for tennis shoes while Bruce waited outside on his new sporty, techno-gadgeted racer. I came out of the house grinning from ear to ear and mounted the bike. I felt a little tentative, but was sure it would be all right. I pedaled clumsily down our inclined driveway, banked to the right, and plowed promptly into old Mr. Tappy's mailbox.

Mrs. Short, the widow next door, emerged to see what all the commotion was, and when she discovered the problem began yelling encouragement to me. (By all means, let's attract the attention of all the neighbors.) How embarrassing to crash and burn fifty feet from the front door! That incident has come to be known as "The Six Second Ride".

I honestly didn't know what happened, except that I lost control. I forgot that although it was a "retro-looking" bicycle, it had handbrakes and gears, something I had never, ever used. After assessing the "damage", which was mostly to my pride, we rode S L O W L Y down the street with me wobbling and teetering every inch of the way. I went to turn into the empty parking lot of St. Kevin's Church and discovered I didn't know how to turn anymore, so I grabbed the handbrakes - HARD - and almost lost control again. By then I was sure this bike was too much for me.

We finally made it into the parking lot, but my nerves were still too jangled to relax. I rode mostly in circles retracing the same path, while Bruce, who apparently has ridden since I have, rode fearlessly like a kid. I met three teenagers cutting across the lot who looked at each other, then gave me that "What's up with her" look. ("Okay", I thought, "tomorrow night I'm wearing a fake nose and glasses. This is too humiliating.") After about thirty minutes the sun was almost down and it was time to head home. I'll have to admit when we left the safety of the church lot it was scary. I felt like a danger to myself and everyone else.

The following night I opted to leave the bicycle parked and do what I should have done to start with -- look at the manual. It's amazing what useful, even lifesaving, information was found in the manual. There were all kinds of things about braking, turning, weight distribution, gear manipulation, and basically how to ride and come home safely.

The next night Bruce and I ventured back out, and although I still didn't feel comfortable, I took what I had learned in the manual and used it. I went back to the same parking lot and tried the gears, practiced maneuvering, coasting, weight shifting, and braking (without throwing myself over the handlebars). At the end of the ride I felt better - more calm, and I began to think, "I can do this - with practice - I can do this."

I wonder how many new Christians feel as wobbly and uncertain as I did that first ride on my new bike. They're excited about their Salvation and they start off like gangbusters only to plow headlong into adversity and situations they are ill-prepared to handle. It's at those times Satan tells them they're in over their head with this Christianity thing and they need to forget it.

Just like me riding in circles in the church lot, some may feel safe and fairly comfortable within the four walls of the church, but their new-found life will have to be lived on the street as well if they ever want to make it Home. They will have to learn how to handle the bumps in the road of life (like illness or loss of a job, or even a loved one). There will be obstacles (like unbelief) and hazards (like temptation) all along the way, and if they don't know how to "avoid and recover" they may become too discouraged to try again.

What they need is a good foundation in "The Manual" -- the Bible. Everything they need to know is found there and once they begin to read and put into practice what they've learned, little by little, day by day, they will realize that they "can do all things through Christ who strengthens" them.

Yes, there will be times when they fail, times when their judgment is not what it ought to be and even times when they fall, but that's when we as seasoned Christians need to stand on the porch of life and shout like Mrs. Short, "You can do it! In time, you can do it!"

Have a blessed September,

Janice Crow

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