Bicycle Brakes

I was ten years old when I got my first bicycle, a sleek red beauty that went faster than the wind (or so I thought at that time). My parents had allowed me to pick out the bike I wanted from Montgomery Wards, but they also required that I earn the money first to pay for it. It was a lesson that still serves me well today.

One of the first things that I did after I brought the red beauty home was to turn it upside down, take the back wheel off, and disassemble the brake system. I wanted to know how it worked. So the simplest method was to take it apart, then put it back together again. From that point on, I was able to service the bike whenever it needed it.

At each stage of my life, I see the same desire to understand the inner workings of whatever organization, system, business or association with which I became connected. In college I became part of the Student Council, not as an elected representative, but as the parliamentarian -- the one behind the scenes who guided and even helped to control the workings of the body.

Later on, as a pastor, I wanted/needed to be "on top of" what was going on in the parish. Whether through the Parish Council, the School Board, the Liturgy Committee or any other organization, I wanted to keep tabs on what was happening. This was probably as much a control issue for me as it was a desire to be helpful and serve the needs of the people.

When I moved into the role of nursing home administrator, it was key for me to understand the functioning of all departments within the institution. My job description assigned me, and the law held me responsible for the total welfare of the people left in my care. This was a 24-hour per day, 365 days per year ministry which was confirmed by my administrator's license hanging on the wall. I took it seriously.

As I grow older, I find myself less able to understand everything, and certainly unable to control all things. Slowly I am coming to accept the reality that there is only One who understands everything, the same One who controls all things. Even more humbling is the realization that were I to purchase a new bicycle today, I probably would not be able to take apart and put back together the brake system.