FREEDOM FLYER

When I was a young girl, I had the best bike ever. It was purchased in 1976 when our country celebrated sesquicentennial—200 years of freedom. My bike was red, white, and blue with a long banana style seat decorated with stars and stripes. Metallic streamers embellished the handlebars and there were unsightly training wheels on the back which caused me to wobble as I road along the asphalt roads of my suburban neighborhood.

I remember when my daddy took off those training wheels. He pushed me up a hill. “Pedal, Angie, Pedal!” I looked back and there he was at the bottom of the slope. My hair and streamers were surely blowing in the breeze. I was doing it! What a sense of freedom and exhilaration!

Today, I still have a bike. My husband just aired the tires for me so I can enjoy riding on these beautiful spring days. It is just as exhilarating now as it was when I was a child. I still feel a sense of freedom even though my bike is no longer red, white, and blue. Olivia likes to ride side by side with me and hold hands. My son rides ahead and tries to impress us with his speed.

Who created this marvel of machines that we all enjoy so much? Germany’s Baron Karl von Drais invented the Draisienne in 1818. It was made of wood and had no pedals. It was propelled by the rider pushing his or her feet against the ground. It was kind of like a scooter on which you sit!

As you can see, the bicycle has come a long way since 1818. We celebrate this wonderful invention in May for it is National Bike Month. I suppose that with soaring gas prices, this invention could be put to good use running to the store or work while at the same time providing benefits of exercise and good health.

Do you experience a sense of freedom when you ride your bike? Remember, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Cor 3:17 KJV)!