Rock Solid Family

Training Wheels!

Monday, my husband took the training wheels off of our daughter's bicycle! A big moment in a six year old's life. We were all outside cheering her on. We knew she could do it. She was scared at first but she had been practicing a whole week for this day.

Why a week? Well, she had broken a rule, we had set for her on her bicycle. We had boundaries that she was not allowed to pass. Her 8 year old brother had shown responsibility on his bicycle and was doing so well, that we increased his boundaries by about 10 feet. However she was to remain inside the original boundaries. That did not seem fair to her, so that Monday as her father was coming outside to take off her training wheels, he saw her way beyond her boundary. Needless to say, she was disappointed to find out that she was just about to get those wheels off, but by her own fault, she lost that opportunity. After her punishment was declared, she was told to sit and think about it. What was she thinking about?

No, not the fact that her parents were right and that she was sorry that she disobeyed us. Oh no, that wasn't what she was thinking about. I knew exactly what she was thinking, "Mom, and Dad are so mean... They let Joshua go across the speed bump, why not me? It's not fair!" I knew this because it's exactly what I thought when I was a kid, "It's not fair!" So I talked with her about that.

"Joshua is two years older than you, Ruth. Would it be fair to him to have to wait until you were ready, before we let him do anything new? It would be like if we told you that you couldn't play outside until your baby sister was old enough to play outside. Would that be fair?"

She seemed to understand what I was saying, if not completely agreeing with me. Toward the end of the week, she was behaving better, and staying within bounds. I mentioned to her that Monday, maybe Dad would take off her training wheels. She said, "Oh boy! I'm going to try very hard to be good and not get in trouble like last time." And she did! Now she is riding her bike without training wheels!

The smile on her face was so big as she rode without help. Later she came inside and told me, "Mom, I am SO excited!" She was really happy!

You know I wonder if that is what it will be like for us in Heaven. We will be able to do everything perfectly. We will be able to understand the Bible and do everything it says perfectly, without falling down. I'm sure we will even know every word in the Bible by memory and quote it without stumbling.

In the mean time, I'm going to keep on practicing, studying and doing all that I can to learn right now, preparing for that day. That will be a wonderful day to be able to do God's will, without training wheels!

Isaiah 40:29-31 "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."