Three bears

Being in school at a stretch makes one lose touch with something’s. For me one of the things I almost totally lost touch with was how to ride a bicycle. So once I got home and realized practically everyone was on a bike, the determination to get back on it came to life.

I’ll probably have to explain the whole process to make my point, but it’s definitely worth it. So kindly read it all. Well there are three bicycles in the house with various levels and degrees of riding. The first can be related to baby bear in “Goldie locks and the three bears”, second is the mama bear bike and the third is the father bear. 

The first bike (baby bear) isn’t a tiny bike that can’t be ridden by an adult, considering the fact that I am small and cute I can say that one pretty much suited my package.

Anyway starting to ride again meant I had to start with the baby bear and as the bible says “do not despise the days of small beginnings.” Don’t really remember if I fell off the bike at any point, but the process was more like an adult going back to preschool to learn alphabets. I sincerely had to start from scratch, putting one leg on the floor a million times to balance and almost forgetting the use of the breaks, having to concentrate and learn to ride only in the compound to avoid any accidents whatsoever.

Few weeks in and I was  sincerely excited about the whole process and thou i had a few bruises I wasn’t ready to stop. By now I had already gained full ground on how to maneuver  baby bear around and thus went on my first trip on the road. Talk about the sense of freedom I felt being on the bike and out of the house. It was simply thrilling and I couldn’t wait to get more of it.

Well since I had gotten good grounds with baby bear, the next point of action was mama bear. On a normal day since mama bear was a tall mountain bike, she won’t have been on my to-do list, but since I was going through a learning process this was simply something I could not avoid. 

On I went on her the first day, and to the ground I came crashing, she was so tall I found difficulty getting to sit right. Well after a while I did get to sit, but paddling was another catastrophe, I began wondering if I had learnt anything at all by riding baby bear, it just seemed like mama bear was bringing everything I did on baby bear down and making it seem useless. I gave up on mama bear a number of times and returned to baby bear to regain my confidence. But each time, I realized that if I wanted to be good at what I was doing I had to do it right. 

So back on mama bear I would go and how delightful I was when I conquered her, I rode her with even more confidence than baby bear, and even became determined not to return to baby bear, as it seemed like child’s play compared to this. I rode in the glory of mama bear for many days, almost not having the desire to take the next step to father bear. 

To me for mother bear  to have been unapproachable father bear was a taboo, but now mother bear was conquered and yet still father bear seemed farfetched for me. I rode continuously in the glory of mama bear, learning to forget the pains associated in continuously paddling the mountain bike. With this bike I tried various things, and I rode freely, I kept my mind focused on it and did not desire to either go back, or even tickle talk less of tackle father bear.

But judgment day was coming, and on one of my riding days my father simply ordered me to ride father bear. At first I simply stare at him in open oblivion, and wondered what joke he is pulling on me, but his face doesn’t cry out “I am joking” and this meant I simply had to ride. Taking a first serious ride on this bike did not mean I was riding within the compound first, it meant I was going in for the catch straight up. 

I had my fears, but I still picked the bike and drove out of the gate after my father. I would not hesitate the say the shock I got on this bike; believe me when I say it was a smooth ride. Apparently after having a go at baby bear and mama bear, father bear was just exciting, classical, I don’t even know the words to explain how easy it was on that bike. 

Father bear represented the biggest of all, and even thou I was just a step away from getting there I recall the fear I felt. Since I have finally been able to conqueror all three bikes, picking up any and riding isn’t much of a problem, I have no limitations to whichever I desire. 

All these came up as a lesson, one which we see in our very own Christian lives, the entire growth process, with baby bear being us new in Christ moving around almost hopeless and just desiring to grow no matter what “ if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature…” 2 Cor 5:17.

Mama bear representing the next level we are has Christian, how much we have grown and how it seems we are at the peak of it all, how we desire to continue touching lives, and most often desire to remain at that position.   

Father bear on its own representing where we are to be, and how smooth our Christianity goes once we attain that level desired for us by God. 

As I always say I am not innocent by saying I haven’t acted like this, even the story about the bike plainly shows my fear. But has children of God we always have to understand God’s desires for us and learn to accept them, sometimes it seems far, it seems difficult, it seems unattainable but His word always remains when he said “ For I know the thoughts I have for you, thought of good and not of evil, to bring you to an expected end” Jer 29:11. 

Baby bear is always the first step we have to go though, mama bear the continuation and father bear the final lap, but many of us like to stop at mama bear not even willing to see what father bear has to offer. But in most if not all instances, for us to conquer mother bear means father bear is the going to be an easy ride. 

Do not be afraid to take on the next challenge in your Christian walk, or any aspect of your life, God’s plan is always supreme and is always for good, keep trusting Him and He would help you attain the optimal result.

Oh did i mention that I did get bruised after riding father bear, this was because I was so carefree about being able to cruise around at such ease I totally lost touch with my break. This simply signified that no matter how much it seems we are in control after getting to that point, we still always have to look up to God to keep us in control...

shalom