Parked in a sea of dreary 1970s carpet, my grandpa's exercise bicycle was old when I was young. I remember climbing onto that white frame and perching on the seat that was so big it had its own zip code. I placed my feet on the pedals and tried to push. They wouldn't budge. I pushed harder and they still refused to move. I stood on one pedal with all my weight and the pedal stubbornly relented but traveled only about two or three inches. By that time my patience had worn thinner than a piece of paper on a diet, and I was ready to climb off.
Then my grandpa walked in, saw my dilemma, and released the tension knob. What a difference! The pedals rotated freely and it was a completely different experience!
I used to think that my relationship with God is like pushing hard on those pedals. If I push hard enough, God will hop on the other pedal and help me grind away in a sea of dreary "Christianity." And so with the tension knob clamped down, I would strain, grimace, and grunt until I was ready to climb off.
Then God walked in, saw my dilemma, and at great sacrifice, released the tension knob. He drew me into His presence where I found genuine peace, joy, and a completely different experience.
He is drawing you, too!
I remember the OLD exercise bikes!!! Now they are all electronic! So much easier to use! I like the lesson here, it's helping me think more about what our relationship can be with God if we allow Him to "adjust" the knobs of our hearts.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for taking the time to comment! The longer I live, the more clearly I see that it's all about Him adjusting that knob and not about me pushing on those pedals.
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