Leaning

Before Bob came into my life, I hadn’t had motorcycle experience, but I remember being intrigued by them. I used to like riding in my uncle’s convertible and feeling the wind all around me so reasoned I’d probably like to ride a bike, which I do. I don’t recall hesitating when Bob asked if I’d like to go for a ride. However, the vast difference between car and bike, not having any knowledge, and not wanting to cause a wreck, I had questions.

“I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before. How do I ride with you? What do you want me to do?”

“Lean with me,” he simply replied. “The only thing you need to do is lean with me.”

We have had many wonderful rides since then over the course of years.

Close to two months ago we were out for an impromptu ride. I was gazing into the blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds, praying in the Spirit, when I all of the sudden felt the bike go a little tilt beneath me. The air was filled with the screeching of our tires as Bob braked. We had come upon an intersection with two stop signs — we had the through. Bob had slowed a little at first as it appeared the approaching car wasn’t going to stop at his stop sign. The driver slowed. Bob resumed. The driver didn’t stop after all. I was thankful to God for keeping us upright and proud of Bob for the way he handled our large cruiser; that could have gone bad in any number of different ways. I was also thankful that I hadn’t been paying much attention or I might have been contrary and moved in such a way that prevented Bob from maneuvering properly.

We hadn’t been out much since then, maybe once or twice. After church one Sunday we decided to trek out to a restaurant that had been recommended to us by family. The partly overcast sky and little rain we did have alleviated the humidity to where it was tolerable enough to wear a helmet and jeans for our ride. It was a beautiful day. The meal was delicious and plenteous. It was a good day to be on a bike . . . except for . . .

. . . I confessed to Bob that I was flinching. Not so much on lone roads, but where there was traffic, in particular, intersections. Guess our near hit got into my psyche and I was having automatic reactions — namely, stiffening up.

“Lean with me.”

I can’t imagine there’s anyone out there who hasn’t prayed a specific prayer and knew that you knew that you knew that it was a done deal . . . until it wasn’t. What you prayed for, what you believed for, didn’t happen quite like you expected. Or when you expected. Have you, like me, after experiencing such disappointments, feel like you are “stiffening up”, like the wheels came out from underneath you or your world’s gone sideways? Maybe like me, you pray anyway because that’s what you do, but then there’s this automatic flinch inside, and no matter how much you try to put it down, it comes up when you think you see something that shouldn’t be there coming from the corner of your eye. I hate that fearful uncertainty when it comes; I hate it more when I find myself cracking the door for it to come in.

The LORD says, “Lean with Me. Let Me be in control. Don’t bail. I’ll keep us upright; we won’t spill.”

I’m not responsible for the drivers coming the other way, the what ifs, and the how comes. I’m just to lean with Him, follow His lead. Yeah, I admit to having a few knee-jerk reactions, but I’m still willing to straddle the seat behind Him and let Him lead us where He will. Will I flinch a bit? Sometimes. But I’m not willing to do this thing called life without Him. Like I tell those who are surprised to find out that I’m a biker chick,

“I love to ride, but I’m not driving.”

That’s how it is with Bob and the bike.

So it is with God.

I have this quotation in the back of my Bible: The only thing that will let you down is what you’re leaning on.

Join me today in leaning on the only One Who will never let us down. Let’s lean in, hold on, and enjoy the ride.