DO NOT GIVE UP; YOU CAN DO IT
DO NOT GIVE UP; YOU CAN DO IT
Growing up as a child, I never learnt to ride a bicycle because I had a nasty accident one time and our mum decided that was that with bicycles (I was a real tomboy and had sustained too many physical injuries doing all sorts). So about a couple of weeks ago my husband decided that our son who had been riding his bicycle with training wheels was good to go without them. Seeing this, I decided that my bicycle that had been standing in the garage for quite a while was ready to come out of hiding and be put to its original use. The idea was then for my son and I to learn to ride together. Yaaaay!!! I was all for it!! I live in Lagos, not far away from a sports stadium in the city. So my son and I wheel our bicycles off to the stadium. There we find a sports shop where bicycles are serviced and fairly used ones are sold. I had my bicycle cleaned and spruced up and we were ready to go.
My son caught on by the end of the first day really. Way to go, son! I wish I could say the same for myself but sadly, I cannot. I struggled from the get go. I fell along the way and even had a few people tease me while others encouraged me. But in all it was a great learning experience for me and right now I can safely and confidently say that I am a cyclist! Maybe when the female version of the tour de France is inaugurated, I might eveb be in the line up of cyclists. ….
Becoming a cyclist was not achieved without its ups and downs. My son told me he had asked Jesus to help him ride so I also prayed and asked Jesus at night and in the mornings to help me too. And Jesus always came through for me. I know with practice and prayers I will get much better.
This riding experience has taught me a few things about my walk with the Lord, you may fall and get discouraged but you need to get back up and continue because Jesus is always there to hold your hands. The strength of a man is not in that he never fell or was never discouraged, it’s that when those times come, he does not pitch his tent there to abide, he gets up, retraces his steps and continues. “The Godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.” Proverbs 24:16 NLT It is not the case that on the day I fell I remained on the stadium floor with the bicycle still on me. Definitely not! I would have been labelled a sick woman. ( Or a wicked woman according to Proverbs 24:16 NLT. )This is basically the same with our bible study time, prayer life and ultimately our Christian walk. We may fall, but we must get up and continue.
My mum, my sisters, one really nice Paralympian that used to tell me “Madam, you can do it”, and so many others kept me going when I felt like giving up. This is the way we should encourage one another on our Christian journey. “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27: 17 NLT And of course to my husband who bought me the bicycle and whom together with my son were my greatest cheer leaders, thank you very much. And also remembering my riding partner Biola Ayodele who learnt in one evening what took me about a week to learn. This also tells me that our paces are all very different. If it appears that you have fallen behind, please do not be discouraged and do not give up.
Keep walking, keep running, keep riding, keep cycling!
YOU WILL GET THERE.
MOBOLAJI