Setting the Pace

On our bike ride this morning, my son became the teacher. One of my muscles kept cramping up and I could not keep up. When we reached the point about halfway to our turnaround spot, I got the boy's attention; we stopped and had a meeting. I shared my problem with him and offered to wait at this spot while he rode to the turnaround spot and back where I'd rejoin him and we'd finish our ride.

He would not allow it. Instead, he told me I could lead out and set the pace. I could stop whenever I wanted and we could go as slowly as I needed to keep my thigh from twisting in a knot. He wanted us to do this together, no matter how long it took. Dang.

I took a minute to rest and refresh, then led the way. I moved gingerly and slowly along the path, trying to go as fast as I felt comfortable going so my son would have a reasonably OK time with his mom this morning. After a few minutes, this sweet boy rode up next to me and told me I was doing just fine and the pace I was setting was very comfortable. However, if I wanted to turn around at any time, he would be OK with that.

There was no way I was going to rob that boy of meeting his goal this morning, so I kept pressing on. Forty-five minutes or so later, we had completed the entire planned course and had returned to our car. We went a little slower than usual and stopped a couple of times for water breaks, but we were successful in our quest.

Isn't that exactly how we are told to treat our Christian family as we grow together in Him?

And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:14

If my son's goal had been to finish his ride well, he would have been better off leaving me at that first stop and picking me up on the way back. But that wasn’t his goal. He wanted us to experience this ride together. The enjoyment was in sharing the experience. As we grow in our spiritual walk, our Christian siblings are right alongside us. Sometimes, I can get so caught up in pursuing my spiritual goals I forget to encourage those who may be struggling.

The "lead, follow, or get out of the way" approach may work in some circumstances, but not when we are supposed to be finishing this race together. Sometimes we need to be willing to slow down and work side-by-side with our struggling siblings. It might not be the pace we prefer, but it is the pace God prefers.

Lesson learned, babe. Thanks.