This weekend, I got to spend a few days with my daddy. And boy oh boy, do I have the best daddy in the world! We had a ton of fun together but one of my favorite things we did was go for a motorcycle ride when I arrived Friday afternoon.
I had only done it once before and I sure was excited to go again.
Being the passenger gave me some time to think.
And I started to realize:
riding on the back of a motorcycle is kind of like trusting God.
Let me tell you how.
TRUST.
Yup. It requires a lot of trust to ride on a motorcycle. It requires total confidence in the driver. I've only been on a motorcycle with my dad as the driver (and he told me to make sure that's always the case). Why? Because I know that my dad loves me and does everything he can to protect me. When I ride with him, he makes sure to drive safely because he has precious cargo with him. And guess what? We are precious cargo to God. I have to trust that my dad knows what he's doing. I certainly have no knowledge of how to drive a motorcycle. So you just sit back and hold on for the ride, trusting that eventually, we will make it safely back home.
HE'S OUR PROVIDER.
All I had to do to prepare for the ride was make sure that I had long pants and boots (or good shoes). The jacket, helmet, gloves, and sunglasses were all provided for me. He even put the backrest on so I could have a more comfortable ride. God is the same way. All he wants from us is trust and faith in him. After that, he gives us the Holy Spirit and everything else we need in order to follow and be obedient to Him.
WE MUST FOLLOW.
Taking turns on a motorcycle is one of my favorite parts of the ride. There's just something so freeing and adventurous about it! As we came to the first stop sign my dad looked back at me and said "Remember, just follow me on the turns." That's it. No other advice was needed for the ride other than to follow. It was important not to lean too far, or not lean far enough. Just follow his shoulders. Jesus called his disciples by saying, "Come, follow me." They weren't exactly sure what they were in for, but if they were willing to follow, Jesus was ready to rock their worlds.
LISTENING REQUIRES EFFORT.
The first part of our ride was pretty quiet. I was too concentrated on getting comfortable to be able to talk or ask questions. Mostly, our quick conversations happened at stop signs or red lights. But as the ride went on, I got better at leaning in close to say something and I got better at shifting my ear to listen to what my dad was saying to me. It was a little uncomfortable at first-it requires movement and on a motorcycle that can be a little scary. But, it got easier! The same is true in our relationship with God.
WE ARE ALWAYS LEARNING.
The most uncomfortable part of riding on a motorcycle is the wind in your eyes. Even with sunglasses and the helmet shield, I could still feel the wind whipping up into my eyes. At times, I would just close my eyes and I had no clue how my dad was keeping his eyes open to see the road! I made a comment about my eyes and he said, "You're gonna have to learn how to hold your head." You're just gonna have to learn. Him saying that gave me hope that there was a way to make this stop! I tried tilting my head to the left, right, up, and down...and I finally figured it out. God is continually sanctifying us, making us more and more like him...more and more like the driver. It takes some willingness to learn and be teachable.
IT'S ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP.
The best part of the ride was that I was doing it with my dad. It was memories we were making and I was loving every minute of it. Yeah, maybe it would have been cool with a stranger. But I'll take making memories with my daddy over making memories with a stranger any day. That's what the Bible and Jesus are all about: redeeming us broken, imperfect people to the righteous, holy, powerful God. It's about raising our view of Him and getting to know his character. It's about having an accurate view of ourselves. It's all about a relationship. I did not do anything to earn a ride this weekend. All I did was ask. That's all you have to do to have a relationship with God: Thank Jesus for dying for your sins, acknowledge Him as Savior, and ask Him to be on the throne of your life. It just takes faith! How great is that? It's not about being good enough of earning anything. We are saved through faith NOT by works.
HE DOESN'T NEED US, BUT WE NEED HIM.
When we got back, my dad said "Wow, that was fun!" and I totally agreed. But here's the thing, my dad could have totally went on the ride without me. He didn't need me. He is perfectly capable of riding alone. But, I would be pretty useless on the back of a motorcycle if I didn't have a driver. I am helpless and not capable. It is only by the power of the driver (and God) that I am able to do anything. But, I know that my dad enjoyed having his daughter ride with him. It's not that he needs me, but he wants me.
Like riding on a motorcycle, when we continually pursue God and His Word (the Bible) it makes us hungry for the adventure more and more.
