Wednesday, September 16, 2009

A bicycle built for two

So we all know that I have been reading this book about how to be a better wife. Well, it is funny when you start doing something like this because God starts putting things in your path that constantly remind you of your goal. The following was in my home school day planner for the month of September and I thought it was too good not to share with you all:

You and your husband on a bicycle built for two.

If I throw my weight around, we wobble and swerve.

My initial “seasickness” eases when I quit resisting and let him lean the bike into curves and turns in the path.

I often feel as if I’m not really adding much to the effort. But I must be doing my part, because if I lift my feet, he feels it and asks, “Are you still there?”

My instinct is to press harder on the pedals to make sure I’m carrying my share of the load. But when I do, he says, “Slow down. Don’t push me so fast.”

Looking over his shoulder, I can see a lot of what he sees, but not what’s immediately in front of us. Good thing he’s the one steering, braking, and changing gears. On the other hand, I’m more free to look around and point out the mile markers and the turtles basking on a log.

I can’t brake or steer, but I do have the power to stop the bike and ruin the ride. If I stand still on the pedals and refuse to move, he can’t make them turn.

I love it when we’re on level ground and using a gear that sets a slow, steady pedaling that surges us forward. But I need warning when he changes to a setting that requires foot strokes. When I’m caught off guard, my feet are slung from the pedals and it’s a trick to get them back in place without snarling the progress up a steep hill.

When I realize I am gripping the handlebars, I have to remind myself, “Let go! You’ve always wanted to ride ‘no hands.’ Now you can!”

When I’m ready to turn back, he’s aiming for one more mile marker. When I am ready to finish easy, he says, “Let’s see if we can beat our record.” With that kind of encouragement, I do what never would have happened if I’d been on my own.

Near the end, when I see one more hill, I open my mouth to say, “Let me off. I’ll walk up.” Then I realize how foolish we’d look, me plodding alone and him trying to keep the bike going by himself. So I shut up and keep pedaling.

And I discover that, when we pedal together, impossible inclines become possible.


That really made me realize that it's not all that hard to live Ephesians 5:22-24.
"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing."

Laides our husbands have an awesome responsibility. Instead of working against them work with them.

2 comments:

April for the Crew said...

This is awesome. Thanks for taking the time to post it. Now, how to implement it? In what specific ways can I stop trying to steer the bike? Because I try very hard to control that bike an awful lot.

Thank you Christy. I can't wait to read this book.

MamaHen said...

Hi Christie! Thanks for coming and visiting my blog! You were so sweet with your comments about Abbie.