Broken Lock...

It was a beautiful day. The sun was out, it felt warm and the sky had a special clearness. The breeze was fresh and felt good against my hair as I biked . It felt good to be “free” and to just enjoy the day. I had woken up that morning planning to take a bike ride. After a few really stressful events, I needed to be outside and pray as I rode. I have found that biking is a great way for me to connect with God. I find myself always wanting/needing to do things so if I am physically moving it is easier for my brain to stay on task and pray. After riding around for exercise purposes, I rode to a coffee house to meet my friend. I parked and locked my bike at a bike stand at a bike shop close to the coffee house. I met up with my friend. We had a lovely time sitting outside while drinking chai and really encouraging one another. We are each going through some challenging situations. (I know you will probably read this blog dear friend so thanks for being so AWSOME J )

After our wonderful time we gave each other big hugs and we each went on our way. I walked back to my bike and started turning the numbers in the lock to unlock my bike. I used the correct combination but the lock would not move. I knelt down so I could really try to use all my strength but still nothing. I looked at the code and I was sure it was correct. I tried a third time nothing. I tried a fourth time and it was still not giving in at all.

In the middle of the frustration I happened to look up and saw that I was by the bike shop. I walked in and asked if someone could help me. The man behind the counter hardly looked up at me. He was really concentrated on the bike that he was fixing. He pushed back his glasses that had started to slide off his nose and gave me some WD40 to put on the lock to loosen it. I walked back out and generously sprayed WD40 all around the combination part and moved all the numbers back and forth so this “magic spray” would get in and help my desperate self. I turned the numbers back to the code and hoped that this would work. However, it did not. It was still not moving at all. I tried a few more times but still nothing. I finally admitted defeated and walked back in the bike shop and asked the bike repair man to please help me!

To my surprise the bike shop owner was up for the challenge. He sprayed more WD40 and tried with all his force but nothing happened… I started to realize that I had two options, leave my bike in the bike rack forever or ask the kind bike shop owner if he knew how to cut the cable. To my amazement he had all the tools available to do this. I was sad that this meant that I was going to have to get another lock for my bike but the shop owner was kind of enjoying sawing the cord to set my bike free. After a few minutes I had a chain sawed in half but a bike I could ride. I thanked the kind bike owner for all his help and pedaled away. I noticed that the car parked a few feet away had a couple in it and they were smiling. I am glad that I was able to be a live circus for them!

On the way home I thought about what had happened and realized how so many times my life is like my bike. I would not have the potential for fulfilling my purpose in life if it was not for the power of the blood of Jesus on the cross that broke all the chains that had me tied down. It is only for his purpose that I live. I can use my time and gifts to go wherever he wants me to go and to love and encourage the people He puts in my path! J