This weekend was truly incredible. I was able to relax and really begin to process what coming home from Timber Wolf meant and what it would look like. I learned a ton and I felt God in huge ways. Ty Saltzgiver was the speaker and he did a phenomenal job.
I will have another blog from this weekend I am sure, but for now, I want to share a parable that Ty shared with all of us. It's about riding a bike. And it is just a glimpse into everything I was learning this weekend.
"At first I saw God as my observer, my judge keeping track of the things I did wrong so as to know whether I merited Heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like the president. I recognized His picture when I saw it-- but I didn't really know Him. But later one, when I began to really know Jesus it seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride-- but it was a tandem bike and I began to notice that Jesus was in the back helping me peddle.
I don't know just when it was that He suggested that we change places-- but I tell you LIFE has never been the same since. LIFE lived in a friendship with Jesus that is-- He makes LIFE so exciting.
When I had control, I knew the way and it was rather predictable. The shortest distance between two points was usually the path I took. But when Jesus took the lead, He knew delightful 'long cuts' up the mountains through rocky places at break neck speeds when all I could do was hang on to the bike. Even though it looked like madness-- He said, 'Peddle!'
I worried and I was anxious and I'd ask, 'Where are you taking me?' He'd laugh and He didn't answer. And I started to learn to trust in our friendship and living together. I forgot my boring life and I entered into His adventure. When I'd say, 'I'm scared', He'd lean back and touch my hand. He took me to people with gifts that I needed-- gifts of healing, gifts of acceptance, gifts of joy. They gave me their gifts to take on my journey-- that is our journey, Jesus and mine. And we were off again and He said, 'Give the gifts away. They are extra baggage-- too much weight.' And so I did. I gave to people we met along the way and I found that in giving I received even more and my burdens became light.
I did not trust Him at first to be in control of my life-- I thought He'd wreck it-- but He knows 'bike secrets'. He knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners-- to jump to clear high rocks-- to fly to shorten scary passages and I'm learning to just shut up and peddle into the strangest places and I am beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze in my face and my delightful constant companion-- my Lord, my true friends, my guide, my Jesus. When I am sure I just can't do it anymore, He smiles, looks back and says, 'Peddle.'"
This parable speaks so much truth to what it means to be in a relationship with Jesus Christ and to be surrendered completely to Him. It is the epitome of what it means to truly trust our Heavenly Father.
This is just one part of an amazing weekend... so there is definitely more to come as a I process everything that Ty said and everything that the Lord is trying to reveal to me.
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