Training for Independence

 June 19, 2017

Ordinary Time – Season of Stability

Hour after hour. Around in circles on the school parking lot, I remember running alongside my children, supporting their bikes lest they topple, picking them up when they fell, putting them back on again. Hour after hour, I taught and coached them.

Summer after summer. Stopping and starting. Slowing down. Backtracking. Never getting very far very fast as my children learned to ride their bikes on their own. They stopped every two feet to scratch an itch. They slid in gravel and fell. They walked up the hilly stretches. I asked myself, “Will I ever ride my bike again without constantly looking over my shoulder to watch–and wait–for my children?”

Finally it happened! They breeze past me with ease, leaving me–and a trail of dust–behind. All I need do now is look ahead and shout warnings that go unheeded.

I tell you truly: you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices; you will grieve for a time, but your grief will be turned to joy.      John 16:20

This post is part of a series of reflections on the church year.  Click here to follow blog