Balance

William and baby Molly are both out to accomplish new tasks; William, age five, is learning to ride a two wheeler without training wheels, and Molly, just over one, is learning to walk.  I spent the day yesterday with William; we took a bus ride with our bikes to the bicycle shop so that he could get a kickstand.  And on our way we stopped at the old deserted Toys R Us parking lot and rode around in many circles working on turning and starting. Today, Molly was at my house and she was showing off, with great pride I might add,  that she is getting this walking thing down.

But as I was thinking about these two and the strides they had made in just a couple of weeks, it occurred to me that they both had one hurdle in common; balance. Once they got that down, the rest of it just played out. And as long as the balance was good, the training became more and more of a simplified gesture of skilled performance.  

And I figured out that we are no different in our lives.  When we are off balance, we tilt and fall and our confidence is struck down.  

But what exactly are we to do to stay in balance.  It occurs to me that Christ is the balancing force that keeps us out of emotional trouble. I look back on the times that I have been frustrated, disillusioned, angered, impatient, etc. and realize that most of those times are times when I have set my balance meter on my own desires, my prideful arrogance, my expectations of others and my self righteous position that my idea is by far the one that is best.  I have left Christ completely out of my formula for success.  My balance is tilted and no matter how much I put into what it is that I am confronted with, it remains all about me and not about God, and I will fall nearly every time.  Sometimes he does let me get by, but usually, it is a conscious reminder that I should have asked God first for direction.  

William was a good little rider but he sometimes had a hard time starting.  I taught him that if he could make the pedal be a little high and in front then he could have time to get his strong foot pushing and he would have some time to balance out.  He did it, not once but over and over.  He got it, and now he will just keep getting better.  This is my grandson who asked his mom after one season on swim team if he was going to get to coach next year. After riding in circles around the parking lot, when we stopped for a slight rest, he declared that he thought he was almost ready to ride downtown now. See what a little confidence can do for you.  

We just have to be willing to push with all our strength and depend on God to help us find the balance that we need to accomplish His tasks of performance. It is God who will keep us steady no matter how many bumps and tight sidewalks we entail.  But we have to remember to include him on our balance meter.  Riding a bicycle is pretty easy once you get the hang of it.  And so is being faithful. 

It takes practice to learn to trust God and have faith in his direction and balance out our agenda with His will. But if we persevere, we will soon be able to ride into any situation with a confidence that comes in knowing God and riding beside Him in life.  

You have been there and so have I when a situation seems overwhelming to the point that we have to let go and let God because we have no other choice. And God may not have answered our faithful cries the way that we had wanted or expected, and our emotions might have gotten way off balance, and we may have fallen into a deep hole of exhausted despair, but God never left us or abandoned us.  He is with us today just as he was with us in our pain then, and he is there to hold us up as we put our strong foot and on the pedal to move forward. He will hold us up, and keep running with us till we are embraced by His Sprit of balance and gain the confidence to ride beside him. The momentum will replace a spirit of timidity and courage will emerge as an successful companion. 

Christ is the mechanism that keeps us balanced; we may teter from one side to another and even sometimes fall, but if we do, we will fall into His grace and be restored by his love.    

I loved my time with my little William, and have to say that I got a whole lot of hugs and happy smiles when we got home.  He was a winner, and I have learned as it is with any of us, if we are happy with who we are, then we tend to reflect that happiness in our relationship with others. 

James 1:12

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 

Dear Lord, Thank you for carving out time for me to be with my grandkids, especially when I get a chance to be with them on a one on one basis. I know you too, love the opportunities that we take to be with you on a one on one basis.  May we make time to do that more often; for those are quality times that bond a relationship in a way that no other thing can.  It is always about taking the time, making the time, and setting a time for priorities.  And Lord, may I live in a way that you know you are my first. Amen                        

 

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!