I stood
up from the ground as pain shot through my body. My dad kept saying “I’m sorry
honey!” I just stood up and laughed “You warned me!”
Earlier
that evening I stood in full gear excited to try a new mountain bike trail.
This trail is known as the downhill trail and has a few technical spots. I had
ridden the bottom half of the trail a time of two, but had not yet tried the
top. As I stood excited and ready to get on my bike I listened carefully to my
dad’s words as he explained the most difficult parts of the trail one of them
being a 5 foot drop off and the other a gravel pit that you are best to stay on
the side of. The last caution to me was, if something goes wrong don’t panic
and cram on the brakes, instead focus and you will be just fine. He went right in
front of me and talked to me as we started. In just a few minutes he said okay
here comes the hard part, just roll it and don’t panic. Down the drop off I went
I giggled at my success and the feeling of dropping that far.
The
very next thing was the gravel pit; I stayed to the edge as directed. I also
watched my dad to see the best line to take. My wheel wiggled and before I knew
it I was smack in the middle of rocks. I held on tight and focused confident
that I would be okay. Dad’s words were in my head, don’t panic don’t cream on
the brakes I thought to myself. So I gently pulsed my back brake and shifted my
weight further back. I was almost to the end when all of the sudden, either I grabbed
the brake too hard or hit a rock wrong, I plummeted over the handle bars and
into the half hard dirt half gravel ground.
This is
when my dad came running apologizing and making sure I was okay. My immediate
answer of “you warned me” has taught me much over the past day as I have
thought on this experience. Can you imagine what it must have been like to
stand with your Heavenly Father as He gave you last final instructions I am
almost certain that He warned us about some of the hardest times we would face
in life. I can see Him saying “no matter what happens and what comes don’t
panic, don’t stop. Look to Me and to Christ and you will be fine” But then we
forgot that great instruction, He continues to remind us through the scriptures
and words of others when things become challenging.
The first
lesson from this experience is too not panic and to always trust God when times
are hard. Still somehow we forget and we hit the brakes too hard or a big rock
gets in the way and off we go into the ground. I have learned that we have one
of two choices when we come to such a painful screeching halt in our lives. One
we can get upset and give up saying “why did you put me on this trail, it is
too hard! I am not going to do it anymore.” From there you can sit or take an
easier trail, which still could get you face down in the dirt. The second
option is to simply stand up and say “you warned me! I’m okay let’s keep going.
Will you keep telling me what is coming?”
The
choice is up to each of us. Yet one thing that we must remember is God will
always come running, just as my dad did. He is anxiously guiding and watching
us hoping that we will stay safe as we travel our own journeys in life. No matter
what comes to you, He stands with you wanting to help. Trust His hand and His
council on the trail, even if you fall. He loves you, He watches out for you.
I am
forever grateful for the times in my life when I have looked up from my falls
to see my earthly and Heavenly Father standing there to help me back up.
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