God speaks in Bike Language

I read a funny phrase in a blog last week, if I was any good at linking, I would send you there now, but I'm not so I won't. Superbass wrote of "God showing off." While I know that God has and does amazing things, when my own mini miracles occur, I am once again stunned.

When we left sunny O, I left behind a beautiful, marvelous 3 wheeled bike. I had to sell it as I was headed to the land of hills and would not be able to use it. I was also unsure of it's ability to fit in the moving van. There were mechanical problems with the wheels and yet I mourned that bike like you would not believe a grown up could do.

I was once again struggling to get places without a car and with happy children. We walked, they whined and fought. I tried to guilt or bribe my DD into riding her own bike so that I could ride mine with DS. Shameful I know. It didn't work. So I got rid of all bikes and rode my DH's bike.
I spent many hours looking up alternative bikes and trailers. I fantasized about spending an insane amount on a sturdy Dutch Bakfiet or Extracycle Longbike. I showed my DH many pictures of novel bikes toting happy families in the hopes that he would be inspired to give me a splendid present. This did not work btw.

Someone I know encouraged me to buy something that sited me as I surely did deserve it. This didn't quite suit our family dynamics or budgeting. Yet, there I was sad, unhappy and miffed that no one understood the unbridled joy that comes when I float through the air on my bike. In fact, I have decided that if my father feels anything like that on his motorcycle then I am to be forever silent on the subject. I almost slipped into a big pity party except that remembered that sometimes we just don't get what we want and that I am the grown up.

This all leads to the multiple times I have asked God's forgiveness for wanting and coveting such a bike. I also told Him that I did not believe such an expenditure would be where He would choose me to direct His funds and therefore I would just hold my horses and wait. I ultimately decided that a purchase like that would be disrespectful to a spouse who so clearly did not value this purchase in the way that I did. It just wasn't going to build goodwill. I was sad though. I wish I could just go off and do such a thing. I never do.

A good friend, who cheers and challenges me, said, "if God gave you the other bike, who is to say that He doesn't have something else for you?" Me that's who. I had decided the other bike was so out there and spectacular that God could hardly top it. But I did manage to lay my know it all self aside for the couple of minutes it took to mull it over. What is to stop a God who can surprise my most childlike self with a gift in the language I well understand?

Back to waiting. I still enthused on the models. But I stopped coveting and enjoyed the walking we were doing. I still went out and volunteered with the Bicycling advocacy group last weekend. I laughed and explained I had no bike when they asked what I rode.

Then, today on the way home from the car repair shop, I stopped in Goodwill to look for a fertilizer/seed spreader. It was on or list. They had none. They did have a near pristine Kidarooz bike trailer that Amazon lists for 379.99. Goodwill's price for said stroller with 2 flat tires was 30.99. Our new space pod trailer/stroller is now in the garage. Yup, the King of the Universe does show off and I have enjoyed telling total strangers that God even answers the prayers of the selfish, tired, childish women of the world. Even the ones who live in East Cobb and look like that have no cares. He knows we all have desires and sometimes waits for us to stop whining and use our big kid voices to tell him about it before we move on. Like many of us, God does His best work when there isn't any whining, cajoling, begging, footstomping or second guessing. Who would've thought?

I still have no bike. I stand by my decision to wait until I find the right bike at the right price. Until then, I will enjoy the 7 mile roundtrip walk to the library a lot more. And when I do find it, you can bet I will still be telling strangers about God's amazing ability to speak love in a language even a child understands.