Ride Free

There is nothing quite like riding on the back of a motorcycle, its freeing.

Its something I’ve been missing a lot lately, more so than I could explain to myself. I see a bike or even a picture of one and I can't help saying “UGH I want to ride!!!!” so much to the fact I made that very comment to a friend of mine and she said “why don’t you learn to ride then you can go whenever you want”. This thought, while logical, held no interest to me. It took some time but I realized the reason I was as opposed to the idea of doing it on my own was, I like the feeling of being on the back, for those few hours or however long the ride lasted, I wasn't in charge, I had no responsibility for where we were going, how fast, the traffic around us or the route we were taking. None of that was a decision I had to make. I realized I love the feeling that someone else was taking charge and taking care of me and after years of living alone and taking care of myself, my house, truck and bills, it was a feeling I didn't get often and I cherished it. I wasn’t even aware that was the reason I cherished those memories as much as I did, I always associated it with the person I was with or the time in my life but when I crave the ride its not those things I miss its the feeling of being taken care of, not being in charge. The freedom.

Recognizing this and being OK with it was a lesson I've been slow to receive. My independence and self reliance is something people typically praise me for and while I didn't really see a choice in the matter and didn’t do it for the praise it got me, it became part of who I was rather than what I was doing. I thought it was a good thing, a positive attribute but I recently and reluctantly realized it was a quality God was trying to break me of. I didn't see it coming to be honest but He was trying to humble me from my mind set of not NEEDING anyone. A concept I wasn’t fond of. He started by making me realize how much I needed Him, this I was OK with and accepted easily enough really. It was the concept of needing other people that took some time. It took a loss and for God to show me I needed the people HE wanted me to have to help take care of me and it took some major humbling.

Now when I say take care of me I don't mean I get to lay on the couch with no responsibility

and have someone get me this, buy me that, pay my bills. Its a give and take and its more about the release of control and breaking the thought that I have to do it all on my own to prove that I can, who I'd be proving it to I have no idea. I realize how much I desire someone to take that drivers seat. My fear is I learned this lesson too late.

Not too late for God though. He wants to be the one behind the throttle with me on the back. He wants me to give it to Him, sit back and trust Him. There are times I will have to hold on a little tighter and know when to lean into the curve but all in all He just wants me to trust Him about where we are going, how fast, what route and He will worry about the traffic. Sounds easy right? I'm getting there and knowing its OK to let go of that control and that’s its what He wants, helps a lot.

Live to ride!

Be blessed and be kind to one another

~Brandi

But He said to me “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Corinthians 12:9