The Green Bike - A Devotional
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." - James 1:17
“Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.” - Proverbs 11:28
When I was about to turn 7 years old, there was something I wanted more than anything- a bike.
My dad was a mechanic, working long hours to feed 5 kids. My mom had made an art out of thrift store shopping. No one was wasteful, but at the end of the month there wasn’t much leftover for something like a bike.
I was vaguely aware of this fact, I guess, my hopes were not high that my birthday wish would be granted.
But on the hot Tennessee morning of my birthday, in early June, my dad woke me from my sleep and led me by the hand to the back yard.
There on a kickstand, beneath the snowball tree was my wish. A vibrant green bike with a large bow on the handle bars.
I exploded in a moment of joy. My dad’s face was the only thing to outshine it. The story of how, is what matters most.
My dad had been slowly gathering bicycle parts, from the dump, yard sales, wherever he could find them. Then after his work day was finished, he worked some more, building me a bike. He knew that I loved the color green, as he did. He spray painted the bike green. You could see it coming a mile away.
As the summer rolled past I spent hours each day on the bike. I had a Wonder Woman beach towel that I would tie around my neck. When I rode down hills the towel would fly out behind me, like a super hero cape. I felt invincible and free. No gift of my childhood was ever so cherished. How could a pile of parts left for the trash could be fashioned into a portal of adventure and wonder in a child’s eyes. What was the secret ingredient? Love. What I know now, is that my father’s work and love to give me the gift was truly the greatest part of the gift. The gift was not actually the bike. The gift was my father.
I think of what I pray for now. Both the green bike and my father are no longer here.
In the absence of my earthly father’s love, I hope I have learned by now, to seek the gift-giver, more than I seek the gifts.
Like my father was the true gift, far above the green bike- so God is my treasure, above any earthly treasure I could wish for.
Why is the true treasure hard for my earthly hands to take hold of like I did the handle bars of that green bike.
Sometimes we fear to trust. To let go of the handlebars, if you will, give complete and utter control to God and let him take us somewhere beyond what we could have imagined.
I sometimes dream of that Green Bike and what it felt like to fly down the hill, the wind in my hair. The true feeling of freedom. The most wonderful freedom I am still reaching for daily is to put my trust in the God of adventure and comfort and love- who wants to give us gifts better than anything we even know how to ask for.