Taking it On the Chin

My son has taken of the sport of track cycling, and has been going to practices for a couple of weeks now. He’s really taken to it, and I’m glad to see him interested in something new and beneficial but fun at the same time.

For those who don’t know, track cycling bikes are a bit different from your run-of-the-mill street bike. The gears are fixed and not clutched, so when the bike is in motion, the gears and pedals are also in motion. You can’t just stop pedaling, and if you try, the rear wheel of the bike basically comes up and bites you in the backside.

So, at practice last Friday night, my son is riding and has his first non-minor wipe-out. He’s not exactly sure what happened—maybe he was trying to look back and see other riders—but he didn’t hold his line and his bike’s front wheel went off the apron (flat portion of pavement inside actual racing surface) and caught the grassy edge.

I just happened to look up and see my son’s rear wheel go flying up, my son sent head-first over the handlebars and literally land on his chin. His bike landed on top of him and just laid there not able to move out from under the thing.

What do you think I did? I ran. I was in the middle of a conversation with other adults, but I forgot all that and ran to help my son. I couldn’t take away his pain and suffering, but I could get the bike off of him and help him back to his feet. I could hold him as he cried off the shock of his most painful moment in life so far, and I could bandage his wounds as best I could.

Man, isn’t that just a small picture of what God does for us when we’re in pain. I thought about this as I was sitting and listening to Elmer’s sermon yesterday morning. He was actually preaching more on 2 Corinthians 4:7, but when I read verses 8-9 and immediately thought of my care for my son. If I loved my son to drop everything and help him however I could, how much more does God care for you and me?

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. ~2 Corinthians 4:7-11

I really think that because my son knows that he has parents who will love and care for him and pick him up when he falls, he is willing—excited even—to get over his wounds and get back on the bike.