Don't pop your corn just yet, I'm not doing a scene reenactment from The Green Mile.

Poor Edward Delacroix...Percy should not have told him the truth about the mouse city. BAD PERCY.

No, I just thought I'd share a little milestone with y'all, straight from the driveway of Club Amaro. We're officially down to two wheels...well...I shouldn't say we're "rollin' on two" just yet. Let's call it, "DAY ONE".

Do you remember when you first learned how to ride your bike? I can't remember learning myself...I just remember that time my knee came into contact with about 5 1/2 feet worth of sidewalk. I'll spare you the details of the aftermath. You know back then, we never wore helmets or pads...we were hard core bikers, man! Rub some neosporin on it and get back on your bike.

So this afternoon we were out in the front yard with some friends. The kids were all riding their bikes in the cul-de-sac. I'm watching poor Abby rockin' this bike that is way too small for her. Not to mention, the training wheels are cadywampus so they aren't even serving much of a purpose. As I was watching her ride, I could tell that she had all the confidence in the world...the confidence that comes from a little pair of training wheels.



I thought to myself, That girl needs to shed those training wheels and start rollin' like a big kid.

How hard can it be to teach a kid to ride a bike. I mean, you give them a little push...they wobble a bit and they're off, right?

"Mike...I'm thinking about maybe taking those training wheels off" [Translation: "Mike...go get the training wheel removal tool, take off the training wheels and teach this girl how to ride her bike."]

Abby was very excited and a little nervous at the prospect of riding her bike big kid style and so began "Bike Riding 101" at Club Amaro. It was such a contrast watching her without the training wheels...before she had been so confident and sure of herself. Now, only a few minutes later she's nervous and jerky.

So here's the thing. I'm watching my child attempt to ride her bike without the training wheels and I'm immediately reminded of my own journey in life.

There are those times in life when God calls me to a new level of "riding" with Him. Maybe I've been riding along doing things in my own strength, or maybe I've just been riding along in a comfortable place - not growing - just comfy. Maybe there are those times where I've been getting a steady diet of milk and God is calling me to take on some meat. Whatever the circumstance, taking the next step can be like removing the training wheels from my bike.

Sometimes, even getting on the bike can take everything I've got - let alone trying to ride the thing. Maybe I let the bike sit awhile in the garage...leaving it to collect cobwebs of rebellion and denial in the corner. Eventually I will get on the bike, but the uncertainty of what comes next can be even more unbearable. Will He hold onto me until I get it right? What happens if I fall, will He be there to pick me up? What if there is a curb ahead and I freeze, will He remind me to slow down?



Training wheels serve a purpose...but they limit us. The safety and stability they provide are only for a season.

My child, shed the training wheels and let me teach you to ride. The open road awaits.