When I met Jesus, life became rather like a bike ride. Yung parang tandem bike. I rode in the front and steered, and Jesus was in the rear seat, helping to pedal kahit in reality hindi po ako marunong mag-bike. Hehehe!
I don’t remember just when it happened, but Jesus suggested we change places. Life hasn’t been the same since. Jesus makes the ride so exciting!
When I had control, I knew the way. It was safe and predictable, but rather boring—always the shortest distance between two points. But when Jesus got in the captain’s seat, He knew delightful “long cuts,” up mountain roads and down again at breakneck speeds. It was all I could do to hold on! (Just an illustration habang nagbi-bike, pero hindi po talaga ako marunong!)
I didn’t want to question His judgment, but once I couldn’t help myself. “Don’t You think we should slow down just a little? I’m scared.” He turned and smiled and touched my hand and said, “It’s okay. Pedal.”
Sometimes I got worried and anxious and asked, “Where are You taking me?”
“It’s a surprise,” He would say with a laugh. Gradually I learned to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered the adventure.
He took me to meet people with gifts that I needed—gifts of love, healing, acceptance, joy. They gave me their gifts to take on my journey—our journey, my Lord’s and mine—and we were off again. He said, “Give the gifts away.”
So I did, to other people we met. But the strangest thing happened. I found that the more of those things I gave away, the more I had for myself and to give to people we met along the way. And still our load was light.
At first I didn’t trust Jesus to be in control of my life. I thought He would wreck it. But He knows the bike’s capabilities and limits, and all sorts of tricks. He knows how to take sharp corners at high speeds, make the bike “jump” to clear rocks in our way, and He can even make it fly when the road disappears beneath us.
I am learning to not worry or want to get back in control, but just to relax and enjoy the view, the cool breeze on my face, and the delightful company of my constant companion, Jesus.
Sometimes we get tired because it is a long, hard ride, but Jesus just smiles and says, “Pedal.”
Let’s try to slow things down. Relax! Hinay-hinay lang. But most of all, stop, look, listen … and wait! Warning signs yan na madalas nating makita sa mga dangerous places, such as railroad crossings-places of crisis where there is an interruption of the routine, your way, your road, your highway. Pag nagmadali ka pwede kang ma-hit and run at baka ikamatay mo pa.
Which is easier, to try to beat the train, to try to plough through the train, to jump over the train—or to stop for a few minutes and watch it go by? Mamili ka! It will soon be gone, and you can go peacefully on your way.
Trying to force the situation and push your way through just won’t work! God likes for you to give Him a little honor. You’ve got to put aside your own thoughts and partake of the Lord’s Spirit, through communion with Him. If you’ll do that, He’ll tell you what you’re supposed to do.
Getting quiet before the Lord shows you have faith that God is going to handle the situation, He’s going to take care of things. It shows that you trust the Lord. “Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.” [Isaiah 26:3, KJV] If you’re not trusting, you’re going to be in confusion all the time.
Read…
Matthew 6:25–34
Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Prayer for the day…
You are a perfect God, Jesus! There is nothing that You can’t do, no situation You can’t control, no problem You can’t solve, no tangle You can’t unravel, no question You can’t answer, no burden You can’t lift. How could I not trust You?! Please help me to put my faith and my trust in You each day, to learn to rely on Your strength and wisdom no matter what problems I may encounter. Teach me to let You take control. Amen.
Your sweetest Melody, ❤
the sweetest Melody 