~ By an unknown author
I used to think of God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there, sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I didn’t really know Him.
But later on, when I met Jesus, it seemed as though life was rather like a bike, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Jesus was in the back helping me pedal. I didn’t know just when it was He suggested we change, but life has not been the same since I took the back-seat to Jesus, my Lord. He makes life exciting. When I had control, I thought I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points.
But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places and at break-through speeds; it was all I could do to hang on! Even though it often looked like madness, He said, “Pedal!” I was worried and anxious and asked, “Where are you taking me?” He laughed and didn’t answer and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into adventure. And when I’d say, “I’m scared,” He’d lean back and touch my hand.
He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and 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; they’re extra baggage, too much weight.” So I did, to the people we met, and I found in giving I received, and still our burden was light.
I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I thought He’d wreck it, but He knows bike secrets, knows how to make it drift to take sharp corners, jump to clear high rocks, fly to shorten scary passages. And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I’m beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion, Jesus.
And when I’m sure I just can’t do any more, He just smiles and says… “Pedal.”
(This was shared in our Wednesday evening Zoom session, Feb. 10, 2021)
I suspect some of this came as a translation – perhaps not literal – of a book written by an Italian friend of mine by the name of Michele Lapenna. I just finished reading his book that he mailed to me from Italy. The title of the book is “In tandem con Dio”. It is the story of his personal battle with and survival of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
It was first published. I believe in 2013. Do you have any idea whether this is in fact, true? As I’ve been reading it, I’ve thought that it would be beneficial to translate the book into English if I could find someone to publish it. it’s brilliant!
Hi Michael, thank you for your comment. The first time I heard this story, “A Tandem Bike Ride with God,” was from a speaker at an event in South Carolina that I attended sometime between 1991 and 1995. So the origin of the story is at least that old. If you get more information about it, please let us know!