A brilliant New Testament scholar once asked a group of us what is the most important word in the New Testament. We all took stabs at it. Was it love? Faith? Hope? Sanctification? Grace?
“No,” he said. “It’s the little word let. L-E-T.” Let Jesus Christ do his good work in you. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus . . . Let your light shine . . . Let is a word of transforming faith, with encyclopedias of meaning poured into it. Let assumes the total love and power of the Creator. It assumes that heaven is crammed with good gifts the Father wants to give his children. The profoundly simple word let is the gate that opens to that poor. It gives God permission to work his might in us. ~Tim Hansel in Holy Sweat
The Road of Life
At first, I saw 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 really didn’t know Him.
But later on
when I met Christ,
it seemed as though life were rather like a bike ride,
but it was a tandem bike,
and I noticed that Christ was in the back helping me pedal.
I don’t know just when it was
that He suggested we change places,
but life has not been the same since.
When I had control,
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
at breakneck speeds.
It was all I could do to hang on!
Even though it looked like madness,
He said, “Pedal!”
I worried and was 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 the 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 gifts to take on my 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 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 bend to take sharp corners,
knows how to jump to clear high rocks,
knows how to 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 Christ.
And when I’m sure I just can’t do any more,
He just smiles and says . . . “Pedal.”
~author unknown (as quoted by Tim Hansel in Holy Sweat)
So do you prefer to ride in the front or in the back?
Sandy–great share. I’d have to agree, the word ‘Let’ is a big one–as in ‘yield’, ‘surrender’…and so on. Yes, Lord, let it be so 🙂
Let it be. Let it go. 🙂
It’s strange how difficult it is to let go of control even while realizing we actually have so little of it.
Exactly. Well put, Susan.
“But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts..” It’s a no-brainer – the front nearly cost me my life. I’d be petrified to be in the front. Like the song….”Where you go, I’ll go. Where you stay, I’ll stay. I will follow You.”
I love that He knows bike secrets. 🙂
Yes. I learned this myself in this past year…LET is absolutely THE single most powerful word in the world really. It’s the portal to true life. Amazing truth!
It’s not a word that would first come to mind…
I love your inference that riding up front is a choice because it is— and it isn’t. That’s why “let” is so important. Loved this, Sandra.
It is a choice… and it isn’t. 🙂
My daughter hates to ride with anyone in a car–front seat or back. She says it’s because she has control issues.
Thank you for sharing this marvelous poem with us, Sandy! Sure wish we knew who the author was. 🙂
Blessings!
This is one of my favorites. I read it often because it makes me happy, makes me smile–and makes me think.