A Father's Word: Pedal Fast - Chris Padgett
When I was a little boy, we had a hero named Evel Knievel. For those of you who have never heard of him, Evel Knievel was famous for jumping ramp-to-ramp over obstacles (i.e. cars, busses, trucks, rattlesnakes) on his motorcycle. Once he attempted, and failed, to jump Snake River Canyon in the Scycycle X-2 steam-powered rocket. My friends and I would put cards on the spokes of our bikes and imagine we were the renowned stuntman as we jumped over stacked tires with a wooden plank as our ramp. One day, one of my friends added three or four more tires to the stack that a brave daredevil had just launched from. (I’d chickened out a lot earlier.) As the ramp was being checked, the father of the boy about to launch into outer space came out, looked at the ramp and then his son and preceded to give the greatest advice to a son I’ve ever heard. “You better pedal fast.” That day, with confidence and the watchful eye of his father, my friend flew through the air like our hero and landed perfectly. His father knew that his son had the ability and nerve to do the stunt, but if he hesitated at all and didn’t give it all he had, he would not only be unsuccessful in his jump, but also could’ve hurt himself. I’ve never forgotten that.
Each of us is called to do great things in life, but I think the greatest is to be an amazing spouse and loving parent. Often we can feel afraid or unfit for the task at hand. How can we compete with all of the influences and demands we and our children experience? Maybe we can take a lesson from my childhood. If you’re going to do something, don’t hold back—give it all you’ve got because if you don’t, you could get hurt or hurt someone you care about. When it comes to being a great parent, pedal fast. When it comes to being an amazing spouse, pedal fast. Your Father God knows that you have the ability to be great at both. Why? Because it is why he brought you together as a couple and gave you the children you’ve been given. God knows what we need to be the saints we are called to be and what our family needs for each of them to be saints. You need each other. God is a family: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is eternally Father, and as such, he will always set us up for success. Your commitment to one another as a couple and a family is a witness of what can happen if you put your all into your vocation. It means you can’t hesitate and be careless about the obstacles and ramps you will face. To truly love each other and determine to give marriage and family your all is something that many will remember. There will be a lot of people who get afraid when they see how difficult marriage really is, and some will even give up. Pedal fast. There will be times when you don’t think you can make the jump. Pedal fast! Be courageous. After all, your heavenly father is right there, and he knows you can do this!
Each of us is called to do great things in life, but I think the greatest is to be an amazing spouse and loving parent. Often we can feel afraid or unfit for the task at hand. How can we compete with all of the influences and demands we and our children experience? Maybe we can take a lesson from my childhood. If you’re going to do something, don’t hold back—give it all you’ve got because if you don’t, you could get hurt or hurt someone you care about. When it comes to being a great parent, pedal fast. When it comes to being an amazing spouse, pedal fast. Your Father God knows that you have the ability to be great at both. Why? Because it is why he brought you together as a couple and gave you the children you’ve been given. God knows what we need to be the saints we are called to be and what our family needs for each of them to be saints. You need each other. God is a family: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is eternally Father, and as such, he will always set us up for success. Your commitment to one another as a couple and a family is a witness of what can happen if you put your all into your vocation. It means you can’t hesitate and be careless about the obstacles and ramps you will face. To truly love each other and determine to give marriage and family your all is something that many will remember. There will be a lot of people who get afraid when they see how difficult marriage really is, and some will even give up. Pedal fast. There will be times when you don’t think you can make the jump. Pedal fast! Be courageous. After all, your heavenly father is right there, and he knows you can do this!
