Training Wheels

My grandson stayed overnight recently, and my sister and I gave him bike riding lessons. He has a Spiderman two-wheeler with training wheels that list to one side and a drive to learn that won't quit.

He quickly discovered that going downhill beats an uphill climb every time.

But during those cascading moments of unbridled freedom, I hope he noticed smooth sailing is not without its dangers. 

Luca's bike doesn't have brakes. That means he had to quickly figure out (with a bit of instruction from Mom Mom and Aunt Jane) how to be his own braking system. Sure, it's fun soaring downhill at umpteen miles per hour, but who wants to go careening into a thorny rosebush at the bottom of the street - or worse, the street itself? Luca had to slow his descent with good old-fashioned foot power. The same feet that pedaled him up powered him down when he started getting into trouble.

Then there are the flat surfaces. Our neighborhood has a nice assortment of hills and valleys, as it were, and Luca settled into a steady rhythm on the even places. Those weren't nearly as exciting as downward plummeting, but he could sort of chill and give his peddlers a bit of a break.

Which brings me to the hills. Now, these required some man power. Call me sadistic, but I didn't help him right away. Experience suggested he was going to need assistance, but I wanted him to realize that for himself. After some heavy breathing and not a little grunting and groaning, he cried "Uncle," and we came to his aid -  but not without imparting a life lesson: some tasks require teamwork, and Mom Mom and Aunt Jane will ALWAYS be on his team.

Afterwards, we talked about his experiences. Downhill was tons of fun but it didn't take much effort and wasn't always as carefree as it seemed. The flat parts required less umph than going uphill, but they weren't terribly exciting. He had to ask the most of himself (and his fellow man) on the upward climbs, and sometimes even get out and push - but, oh, the satisfaction when that hill was behind him.

Next time I'm going to teach him about the importance of the helmet. The best biker in the world has to keep his headspace healthy, or God help him when he hits the road bumps:

"Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God." - Ephesians 6:17

And speaking of our Creator, the best advice I can give all my grandbabies is, wherever you pedal, never forget who gave you the power to do so. Drop in and see Him whenever you can.

Life's little instructions show up in interesting settings.