Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1367347
Bee-Loved Liz Preston, Pennsylvania BSHDFC I love to paint things, decorate things, fill empty space with color and glitter and (in my book) anything with some open space is fair game. Therefore... my bike! When I got it several years ago, it was a smooth and clean Moroccan Gold; a gentle creamy white with an almost heavenly gold shimmer. So all that open space? Well, as I said: fair game for a paintbrush. But as it's not really just "my" bike (we believe God led us into biking —- gave us bikes —- to serve Him) I wanted it to be able to direct others back to God. So …. in comes Covid quarantine, I was locked down with time, and well, here it is; ready to ride. And as I ride and meet people, I hope the conversations go something along the lines of this: "Ooo, nice bike!" "Mmmm, thanks. It was fun to do." "Whoah, YOU did it?" "Well, I had help." "Help, like a stencil?" "Nah, like God. Believe it or not, God helped me!" "God?" "Yeah, sound kind of weird, right?" "Um, well, yeah...but what do you mean by that?" "Well, He'd already given me a little bit of ability to draw, and then He gave me the story!" "The story?" "Yeah. True story!" [Beginning at the back of the bike, top of the saddlebags] When life is steady and sweet. we smell the flowers (well...I do.) and relish in the good times. Maybe we thank God, or maybe we just thank our lucky stars. Maybe we even just pat ourselves on our backs for all our hard work and good choices we made that led us here. But we smile and say, "Life is good!" and we enjoy the ride. [Looking at the bottom of the saddlebags and moving around the side] But for all the times we feel life is a bed of roses, underneath the sweet softness we still prick our fingers on a thorn or two. And when life gets really messy or difficult, the sweet and soft petals of those roses wilt and drop off, leaving a tangled mess of thorns that snag us, or even wrap around us. trapping us in our hurt or our loneliness, our fears or guilt or shame. Maybe those feelings were caused by our own choices, maybe they were because of someone else's bad and selfish choices, but the feelings are there just the same, and they stab us at every turn. Believe me, I know. [Leading them to the front fairing] As I began to learn about Jesus though, I began to learn not only are the thorns tearing into my flesh and my feelings, but they are tearing into Jesus' as well. And really, only He can stop the bleeding and heal life's wounds. Can I tell you about him?" [If they say, "yes" continue. If they say "no" leave them gently in God's hands.] "You see, I believe that there is a God who made everything. Something can't come from nothing. so whether it was just six days or an unfathomable amount of time, something or someONE is behind everything, and not only behind it, but still active IN it. And incredibly, as crazy as this whole world, and especially the human race, has become, this Someone- who-started-it still loves what He made. And every time we are scratched and pierced by life, He feels the pain. [Pointing to the cross of thorns.] And don't we all scratch and cause pain in others? I mean, don't some of our actions cause hurt in others...and therefore hurt God? Yet, unbelievably, He still wants to be active and loving in our lives. He still want to bring peace where we are