It Takes Two

Day 86 of Photo Inspirations -- It Takes Two
I saw this sweet family and had to take a photo of them.  I knew it would provide another photo inspiration.  And it did.  A bicycle built for two, but one of the two is a little person.  What great family bonding time!  Imagine the memories those kids will have of the great outdoors, such a beautiful day, getting great exercise and having Mom and Dad all to themselves. And, for the Mom and Dad, there’s no greater therapy for relieving a week of stress and perhaps overwhelming circumstances, than hanging with their kids.

And I have sweet memories, too, of my kids and grandkids getting their first bikes, eventually taking the training wheels off and then watching them tackle it all alone.  Yes, there were a few bumps and bruises along the way, but they finally conquered their bicycling challenges with persistence and determination.

I thought about the similarities between life and a bicycle.  This was a bicycle built for two and it really takes sets of two to make a bicycle work:  two wheels, two pedals, two brakes, two legs to push the pedals and two hands to control it.  It’s a perfect example of “It takes two”!

The front wheel of a bicycle provides direction and the rear wheel provides the drive.  In life, we need someone who provides us with inspiration and direction, and who pushes us with the right drive, especially when we’re venturing out into the great unknown.  I am so grateful that I had a partner for many years and we provided that direction and drive for each other. Though I’m single now, I’ve learned so much about my dependence on THE Director and Driver that keeps me balanced as I ride my “life” bicycle and Who constantly inspires me to push on and pedal harder.  There are hills that require pedaling harder, but, oh the joy I receive when the slopes come and I can relax on the way down.

In life, we’ll go through some tough times and we’ll encounter situations where it takes every bit of energy we can muster to make it through, but how sweet it is when we pedal on to that place where we soon can coast and enjoy the ride.  And, it’s quite essential to know when to slow down and come to a complete stop – applying the brakes when “enough is enough”.  When we do that, it’s the perfect time to “BE STILL and KNOW HE is God”.  In that stillness, we hear Him giving us great wisdom for the next adventure we’ll be on.  He’ll tell us the best roads to take, the right amount of air pressure we need in our tires, the tension needed in our steering system, and the sweetest sights to see along the way.  Yes, it does TAKE TWO!