Polishing His First Set of Wheels

Both Margie & John served full-time in Christian Ministry within the church and for International ministries. After John died of cancer, HWI offered to give bikes to their children. Margie says, “What a gift! A bike to fit both children as they grow!”

“As Spring brought warmer weather and the chance to be outside, my 4 year old son Josiah was eager to have his first real bike. We planned a day to visit HWI and Miss Alice to get the bike. When we got there Alice and Richard, another volunteer, helped Josiah get his bike in tip top shape. After they put the bike on a stand, they let Josiah clean it. He used steel wool and WD40 to shine every inch of his bike. He was thorough, serious and delighted.

When the bike was ready and he got onto it, we were both surprised that he could actually ride it! He took off, a free man at last.

We brought the bike home and went to a bike path near our home. The path is ideal for the beginning biker because it is wide, smooth and has no traffic. It is perfect for a supervising Mom because it is a self-contained circle of which I can see the entire distance. Josiah got on his bike, strapped on his helmet and took off around the circle. As he got further away, the distance somehow gave me a glimpse of him on his life journey, working to grow and become without a Dad. This thought pierced my heart, tears ran down my face. I cried out to the Lord, "Oh Lord, this is your child. Please help me. Be with him wherever he goes. You have promised to be a father to the fatherless. Reveal yourself to him."

As Josiah made the circle back to me, he stopped and shouted, "The Lord helped me!" "What do you mean?" I asked. "I came to a hill and I couldn't get up. I prayed to the Lord to help me and He did. I made it up the hill!" He sped off on his bike for another round while I looked to the clouds and said, "Thank you."