A Lesson in Bikes and Life

Cory and I recently bought our four-year-old a brand-new bike.

Complete with bright pink rims, fun characters on the training wheels, streamers, and cupcake designs, this bike would be any little girl's dream! Or so we thought...

When we first showed it to her, she was elated!

The joy in her eyes, when we lugged the adorable, and deceivingly heavy, bike inside to surprise her, was everything we'd hoped for. She couldn't wait to jump on it for a spin around the living room before putting it in the corner to wait for warmer weather.

And then it happened...

The inevitable moment when dealing with a 4-year-old when something isn't just the way they wanted it. The pedals, of all things, were wrong. What was wrong with these perfect, white, brand-new, pedals?

The pedals weren't shaped like flowers.

Apparently, her best friend across the street has flower pedals on her bike...and the gorgeous bike that Mom and Dad picked out, the one that could win bike beauty pageants, had suddenly turned into the Frankenstein of bikes.

We talked it over and she got less whiny about it, but we still heard comments about her friend's awe-inspiring bike.

Then I saw it...

Fast forward to later in the week and the best friend brought her bike over. I had to know what was so amazing about these pedals and waited patiently for the girls to be done riding so I could take a look.

They were cute. The pedals were in the shape of flowers, and I completely understand why my daughter loved them...BUT...

the bike was WELL-LOVED...

The bike with the beautiful flower pedals had clearly been enjoyed and well-loved! The back tire had experienced many quick brake situations, the seat was torn with mostly foam showing and scuffs decorated the pink princess design from handlebars to training wheels. There was nothing wrong with all of these things, I hope that our daughter uses hers enough to get to this point too someday, BUT how was this the bike my daughter was jealous of when hers was brand-new?

Two, somewhat contradictory, thoughts came immediately to mind.

One - How often am I jealous of things other people have without stopping to see the whole picture? Maybe the brand-new car is because of a bad car accident and came with a hefty loan. Maybe the gorgeous beach-ready body is due to an illness that won't allow weight gain, or possibly an eating disorder. Maybe an abundance of free time is due to a lack of significant relationships.

Maybe the ONE thing making me jealous of a person is the ONLY thing they have that I would want and I'm wasting my time whining about not having the bike with flower pedals when the actual bike is about to fall apart.

Two - How amazing is a child's brain that they only see the good?

Seriously, I don't think I'm a pessimist, yet I can't remember the last time I saw ONLY the good in someone or something.

I call myself a realist, but maybe I'm holding myself back from seeing incredible things because I don't allow myself to focus on the good. Would I see the blooming flower pedals on a wilting bike?

Maybe the two thoughts aren't contradictory after all.

Am I missing out on something amazing due to jealousy or because I'm unable or unwilling to see the good in things...in people?

My kids have already taught me so much in my short 4 years as a parent, and I hope I'm always able to see the lessons and apply what I've learned to my own life. After this subtle, eye-opening experience, I pray that I'll be content with what I have and not look jealously at others. I also pray that I will take the time to see the good in life.

Even when things look rough, I'm going to start looking for the flower pedals.

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. -Psalm 37:3-4