Recently I've taken back up bike riding. I had ridden a bike a lot in my teens, but had gotten out of the habit. Now I enjoy the exercise of a good bike ride around our country neighborhood.
There's only one big fear that I have. It's getting attacked by a dog. The sound of a bark is enough to make me peddle harder and avoid eye contact. Once the barking fades, I slow down and relax.
Yet sometimes I wonder if God does the same thing in my spiritual life. I will be peddling on going nowhere fast. Then all of the sudden I'll hear a dog barking. It comes in different forms. A friends rebuke. A challenging situation. An added stress. An unexpected need. Suddenly I find myself needing to peddle harder. To reach up for God's strength. To pour out more. To pray more. To give more. To live fully alive.
And when the barking fades I look up to see that I'm farther down the road then I thought. The barking gave me the incentive that I needed to carry me forward. So I thank God for the times He's allowed the barking dogs into my life. For the times God gave me the strength and focus to peddle harder. For the times that I get to look up and see I'm farther down the road than I thought.
Great analogy, Rose.
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