Today I watched a little boy upon his bike. The bike was no more than two feet from seat to surface, the boy even smaller in stature. The bike was adorned with handle bar horn and streamers, and of course the all famous training wheels. A young man and his ride, when it comes to certain things age just doesn't seem to matter.
The thing that caused me to spend my commodity of time for this life time movie, was the little fellow was peddling and peddling, but making no tracks. Wheels were spinning, but he was going no where.
Looking closer I found that his bike was stuck in a rut. The wheels would go, but not the bike, nor the boy. Oh, he put his share of effort in, used all of his energy, as he pushed up and down with those little stumps of legs. He looked like one training for the Olympic gold, yet all of his attempts were self defeating.
Soon he dismounts the bike to take a look.
What is the problem?
He plops down, bottom to pavement and investigates. Still he has no understanding that he is off in a rut. Without revelation of why he is making no progress he climbs right back upon the same ditch ridden transport.
Once more the boy begins to peddle ... up and down, up and down, faster and faster as a farmer churning for fresh butter, but his works were carrying him no place, tho he seemed to move faster and faster. Two determined efforts but no results.
Once again the tot disembarks his less than cooperative ride. This time he walks round and round the bike, evaluating it from one side to the other. His brother was there but seemed disinterested in making helpful suggestions or offering aid. So finally the little guy simply walks away.
He now has abandoned his most precious possession. Left his wheels to foot it. But as he walked away it seemed he had and epiphany concerning that near a half hour event. The lad suddenly jerks around, grabs that bike and yanks it out of the rut ... climbs on and off he goes riding with great ease and joy.
Amazing how we like this little guy can get stuck in ruts wearing ourselves out with aimless effort. We can investigate, evaluate, and use up all of our energy. We can become frustrated, while others look on with no apparent interest in our "rutted" position.
What exactly is a rut?
- It is a fixed or established mode
- A course of life that becomes dull, offering nothing of value
- A rut is a road to oft traveled because of fear of taking a new course
But like the little boy, when we tire of our own efforts and rise to release it all ... the light shines and revelation comes. Suddenly we have the courage and strength to take a hold of, and yank ourselves out of the old ruts of dull routines and programs. We arise, face the fear of the unknown and move onto a new pathway, one that offers us new views and adventures ... freeing us from the mundane.
John 8:23 ~ Message translation
Jesus said, "You're tied down to the mundane; I'm in touch with what is beyond your horizons. You live in terms of what you see and touch. I'm living on other terms ...
