Gulf Coast Family's primary purpose is to encourage families along the Gulf Coast by providing worthwhile information that deals with family life right here in the Tampa Bay area.
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Going for a Rideby Joel Huff Our family recently took a trip to the FL panhandle to visit our relatives. Upon arriving, my mother declared she had a surprise in the garage that she wanted to show us. With great anticipation, my sisters and I watched as she revealed a newly refurbished Schwinn tandem bicycle. It was beautifully painted in a brilliant red, complete with special chromed fenders and white wall tires. But it was not just any old renovated bicycle; it was the very one that my sister and I used to ride on with our Dad when we were kids over thirty years ago.
I could not help but think of the similarity of riding on the rear of the two-seater and a child’s life being directed by his/her parents. Mothers and Fathers “steer” the agenda of the family and direct what their children do. They give the propulsion for the development of the children, ultimately often taking them to where they will go in life.
Gulf Coast Family Publications - Encouraging families along the Gulf Coast in Pinellas County |
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It brought back several fond memories of taking journeys through a small town in Iowa along the Mississippi River. There were vivid remembrances of riding on the back seat of the bicycle-built-for-two traveling through the streets and down a large hill by our house. My seat was in the rear, while my sister sat on a pillow resting on the bar in front of my Dad. As I pondered on these experiences, I realized that I was not a contributor in the effort that made the bicycle move forward on the scenic ride, but simply a passenger. You see, my legs were too short to reach the pedals, so they rested on the support bar. I was simply a passenger being shuttled over the countryside not having any control over where I went or how fast I got there.
The Scriptures encourage us to “train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” The time will come when our children will be able “reach the pedals” and advance toward maturity. And then at some point they will get off the bike and be on their own. Are we taking them on a ride to a place where we want them to end up? Let’s take advantage of every opportunity to point our children in the right direction and train them to pedal toward things that really matter.
