It was a beautiful summer day, I think I was going into grade eight the coming school year. My dad bought me this red mountain bike, which was really cool because back then everyone had speed bikes. Only the sporty kids were smart enough to have a real mountain bike. My friend Leanda and I decided to ride our bikes to the new community centre library. It didn't occur to me until just now that I should have brought my nap-sak, the army green one with the leather strap buckles!
After signing out a few hard cover novels, we decided to cut across the school drive way which had these huge speed bumps. I managed to wedge the books under my right hand between my palm and the handle bars but couldn't really reach the brake handle. As I rode towards this hug speed bump I reach for the brakes, but could not apply enough pressure to slow down and gently roll over the speed bump. Instead, my front tire slammed into the speed bump like a brick wall and I went flying over the handle bars landing on my elbows and knees. The books went one way and I went the other. Being utterly embarrassed I got up and brushed myself off looking around to see who might have witnessed my sad calamity. Upon examination of the bike, we noticed that the front axle was twisted so bad that the front tire wouldn't turn. We had to prop the front tire up onto Leanda's bike and tow it home. Once home, I promptly hid the bike in the garage fearing some sort of punishment for 'mashing up de brand new bike'.
Three weeks passed and finally my dad mentioned something about not having seen me riding my new bike in a long time. By then, I knew I should confess my sins and suffer the consequences. In hind sight, I have a feeling that he had already seen the bike (since he was in the garage every day) and was waiting for me to come to him.
So I hesitantly showed him the bike. I approached him practically dragging the bike because the front wheel was stuck. I assumed the look on his face meant that I should expect the worst. Having nothing to lose, I plunged into my explanation of what happened preparing the tears to soften whatever punishment I would get. However, after my explanation he didn't say anything but grabbed a 2" x 2" piece of wood from the garage, slid it diagonally between the axles and gave it a good yank while holding the handle bars straight. That straightened the axle pretty good. After he put the wheel back on the bike was 'rideable' although you couldn't hold the handle bars exactly straight. To go straight you needed to turn the handle bars just a few degrees to the left, but who cares, I could ride the bike again and I wasn't in trouble at all. He was just waiting for me to ask him to fix it.
Way before this incident I knew my dad could fix anything, and I still believe my dad can fix anything.
And if he can and is willing, how much more our Heavenly Father? He sees and knows our moments of fear, our screw ups and accidents, but yet He doesn't punish us. In Psalms 103, we read that God does not punish us according to our iniquities, His mercy is as great as height of the heavens above earth to those who fear Him. And He can fix anything. He's just waiting for us to ask with childlike faith because He can and is willing to work on our behalf.
