Learning from the seat of the bike

I've recently taken up mountain biking. Partly, to change things up with my workouts. Partly, because my kids just got new bikes for Christmas and I wanted to have something to do with them. It was amazing seeing my daughter learn to ride without training wheels. First time out, I had to run behind her with my hand on the back of the seat and feeling her balance. During that first run, I let go a few times so she could feel how the bike handled.

And then she fell.


We live on a road that has about a 10 ft. grade on either side that leads to barbwire fences. She turned the wheel too sharply and headed down the hill. She threw the bike sideways and slid down the small hill. She began to cry and for good reason. The pedal had scratched her leg from knee to ankle.

But my daughter did something awesome. She wiped her eyes, grabbed her bike and hopped back on. The next day, only her second time out, she was riding on her own. We now ride nearly daily together.

What I learned that day is that it doesn't matter if you fall down. What matters is if you choose to get back up. We all fall sometimes, but we have to make the choice to stand up and get back on the bike.

:No matter how many times you trip them up,

God-loyal people don’t stay down long;

Soon they’re up on their feet,

while the wicked end up flat on their faces."

Proverbs 24:16 MSG