Marriage Is A Bicycle Ride 4/21/2021.

 Good Morning,

I have a short trip to make this morning and I am looking forward to getting home and spending some time with family. I just filled my mug with Door County Cherry Creme Coffee and now it is time to write.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if one of them falls the other can pick them up.  But woe to him who falls and has no one to pick him up. 

My wife Rene and I used to ride our bicycles when we were first dating and they were a good source of exercise and a cheap thing to do. Two back packs filled with tennis balls and a couple rackets and some water bottles made for a cheap date. We once rode our bikes to the shore of Lake Michigan and had quite a nice two person picnic. 

As I recall those days of dating and being physically able to ride for quite a distance, I also recall some of the hills we had to conquer to make it to some of our destinations. I came to the conclusion that going downhill is much more fun than going uphill. I remember though a couple of times that the downhill version had us going too fast and it wasn't safe. We had to apply the brakes and slow down. One time we actually had to walk the bikes downhill. 

Friends, marriage is a like a bike ride. There are days when we struggle to get up the hills placed in front of us. Finances might be on the wrong side of healthy. Children break and arm or get into trouble at school and there it is again, another mountain to ascend. Or the family calendar looks like the secretary got drunk and overbooked her boss with three meetings at a time. Life is going too fast.

If you are married, the best part of a bike ride through life is that you aren't traveling alone. You have a partner to pedal when you can't. You have a partner who reminds you to slow down. A bike ride is best when it is shared with someone. If you aren't married, do you have a friend that is there through thick or thin? If you do, cherish that friend. They are a gift from God.  

Just remember to thank God for your bike partner.

Marty