Low
Gears
The
low gears are designed for starting out and climbing. They get us smoothly into
our ride and give us extra oomph for inclines. In life, there are the times we
need to operate in the low gears. As the day begins, prayer, meditation, and/or
scripture reading can give us the boost and encouragement needed to get through
the day. Same with climbing. Challenges
in life require extra help. They call for us to shift into the very lowest gear
and rely on help from a higher source. Life’s low gears don’t relieve us from
all the hard pedaling. But as we plug along—breathing heavily, sweating, grunting,
maybe even complaining—we know we’re not doing all the work alone. And we know
we won’t be climbing forever.
Middle
Gears
Unless
we’re in training for a bike-a-thon or a hotter-than-hell trek across Iowa,
we’ll do the bulk of our riding using the middle gears. These gears are best
suited for level sections of the road. Here, the bike and rider share the work,
but it is fairly easy, and the ride is smooth. We have time to look around,
take in the sights, enjoy the cool air on our faces. Hopefully, we can spend
most of our lives in middle gear where we enjoy our work and problems are
minimal and manageable. These are good times for reflection and for giving
thanks for the gifts of contentment and everyday pleasures.
High
Gears
Traveling
in high gear is exciting. Zipping along at top speed, we’re exhilarated. We
might be flirting with danger, but that’s part of the thrill. We’re going
somewhere, and we’re going there fast. We experience those same moments in
life. They’re fun. They give us a chance to test ourselves, stretch our comfort
zones, see what we can do. But as fun as those times are, they never last. And
would we want them to? Could we keep up that pace forever? Would we enjoy
it as much if we did? Often when we’re in those situations of complete bliss,
we suddenly find ourselves sailing along a little faster than intended. We suspect we might be
losing control and we panic. Those are the times to gently apply the brakes, to slow down and
take inventory of what needs to be done. To ask ourselves what adjustments need
to be made?
Sometimes merely slowing down isn’t enough. Sometimes we need to
press hard on the brakes. Come to a complete stop in order to avoid disaster. One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm
46:10, “Be still and know that I am God!” Be
still. Hmmm. Maybe sometimes the best gear in life is none at all.
My shiny, new wheels. Now, if someone would invent
a helmet that didn't make me look like an insect on an
Orkin commercial, my riding pleasure would be complete!
That verse never really hit home to me until I read this Caring Bridge journal post: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sarawalker/journal/33
ReplyDeleteNow it is one of my favorites.
Nicci, I went to that link. I'm interested in finding out more about that young woman. What a source of inspiration!
Delete"Be still...." So true! This verse has "jumped out" at me during several pivotal times in my life. It's probably the one my mother quotes to me the most. In fact, she said, "Have you read Dee Dee's blog?"
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DeleteThank you, Brandi. I appreciate you and Martha reading my post. A few years ago I read a YA book in which a young girl was instructing a boy on how to meditate. She told him to take this verse and repeat just the words "Be still" over and over for several days. Then she told him to add the words "and know" and do the same thing. Finally, he was to end by adding "that I am God." I thought that was an excellent to really clue in on the message.
DeleteThat's a great mantra.
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