Mountain Biking

My daughter went on her first mountain bike ride this week! She’s eight and just got a new bike for her birthday and she wanted to go mountain biking. I took her to a park where there is a section of smooth single track and we rode for about half an hour. She did great, but she would freak when she saw a cactus or rock. I just kept telling her to keep her eye on the trail and peddle. As we got off the trail and were on some gravel heading back to the car there was a small hill we had to climb. Twenty feet from the car, as she was trying to go up the hill, she crashed. I jumped off my bike and scooped her up. Her knee was bleeding and she was crying. I held her as she said, “I never want to go mountain biking again!” Then five minutes later at Sonic she asked, “When can we go again?”
Life is full of obstacles, dangers and hardships but we have to keep our eyes on the author and finisher of our faith and ride our race. The trail is not always smooth. We are going to crash and feel like giving up sometimes, but we have to dust ourselves off and with the hope and expectancy of a new day get back up and ride. I know you have had an obstacle or crash this week, but don’t give in or give up. Keep riding because you never know what kind of beauty or adventure is just around the bend.