It was the morning of the first day of April. Yes, that’s April Fool’s Day! Well, it was as if God was indeed fooling us, as the weather was beautiful outside. All the winter boots and coats had been put away, and Honey, our collie, and I ventured forth outside for our morning stroll. Arthur was bright and cheery looking, after a winter of slush and sand-tainted snow. It was so inspiring, that when we arrived back home, I decided to get my bicycle out. Upon inspection I noticed that the tire pressure was low. The pump was close at hand, and it was remedied quickly. Then, there was the obligatory squirt or two of WD40 on some of the moving parts. Soon, I was off to the church office.
As I was riding, a few thoughts crossed my mind. I had mentioned in a previous reflection that I am a great fan of the BBC television drama, “Larkrise to Candleford”. In one of the earlier episodes, the local post office manager orders a bicycle.  It was one of those classic “safety cycles” developed in Britain. Still, she seems unable to achieve the necessary skills to operate it, and it is given to Thomas for his mail deliveries. He, too, has a great deal of trouble mastering the new form of transportation. At one point he questions how a person is supposed to remain balanced on such a machine. It seems physically impossible. Yet, after some more practice, Thomas overcomes the challenge and uses the bicycle regularly. In a later episode, the younger assistant, Laura, appears to have mastered the technique too, as she pedals through town on an errand.
All of those fears and questions concerning the possibility of riding a bicycle did not seem to bother me today. Then again, I now recall learning how to ride one, when I was a young child. It was an old black bicycle that had training wheels on it. But, I remember most vividly riding it for the first time without those extra wheels. Down the alleyway I went, without much control. I eventually stopped by hitting a garbage can. I just couldn’t possibly imagine how pedaling backwards in order to brake was going to allow me to remain upright. For the next few practice runs my shoes acted as brakes. At least I managed the steering better. Finally, I took the risk and applied the coaster brake. It worked, and I remained vertical!
Today as an adult, I had almost forgotten this. Bicycling is now so incredibly enjoyable to me. Still, I have to be thankful that I learned my lessons when I was a youth. Going to church and attending Sunday School is a similar enterprise. Those early lessons and skills have served me well as an adult in handling all the issues and judgments we have to face. I learned to continue to go to church to keep those characteristics sharp and useful. It is as if each Sunday, I do an inspection of myself, as if I were that bicycle. I admit that I often need to make sure that I’m filled with the Holy Spirit, just like my tire pressure. I also admit that sometimes I get rusty if I just sit around; thus, a good squirt of WD 40 for the soul comes in handy. Maybe you and your family might take up bicycling to your local church on Sunday. It will keep you in good repair, and after all, life, like bicycling, is a matter of balance and good maintenance.