Locations & Times

I didn’t learn to ride a bike as a kid.
There, I said it.

And as I got older, that fact got more and more embarrassing. It started as a simple gap in my childhood…no one around to teach me, no one really pushing me to try. But over time, that little thing turned into fear. A shame I carried.

I avoided it like the plague. Anytime the neighborhood kids wanted to ride bikes, I’d lie and say I needed to get home. I’d wave, then disappear behind the garage, watching them pedal away while I stood still.

The older I got, the more it turned from embarrassing to paralyzing. I was convinced that if people found out, they’d laugh, think less of me, or just not get it. So, I kept lying. Dodging bike rides with friends. Avoiding conversations about childhood memories. Even into adulthood, anytime someone wanted to go ride, I’d have a reason I couldn’t. Deep down, I was afraid not just of falling, but of being exposed.

What about you?
What’s the thing that’s kept you stuck? What fear, thought, or memory plays on repeat in your mind and keeps you from moving forward?

Maybe it’s not a bike. Maybe it’s a conversation you’ve been avoiding. Or asking someone for help. Maybe it’s a step you’ve been too scared to take. An apology you’ve been holding back. A dream you’ve shelved because failure feels too risky. Maybe it’s not something people can see, but something inside your heart that’s paralyzed you for years.

Here’s the truth: we all have areas where we feel stuck. But we weren’t meant to stay there.

One day, I finally opened up about my secret in a group of guys I came to trust during a men’s retreat. I told them the whole thing…how I’d never learned, how I still felt ashamed, how it felt ridiculous as a grown man.

You know what I got?
Not judgment. Not shame. Just encouragement and more offers to teach me to ride than I ever expected. 

Real freedom begins when we stop hiding and start trusting.

A few days later, my wife heard about the story I shared. And instead of teasing me like I feared, she tracked down a used bike and brought it home. She wheeled it into the backyard, grinned at me, and said, “Let’s go.”

So, there I was… a 30-year-old man, wobbling through the grass like a newborn deer trying to find its legs. I looked ridiculous. My arms flailed, my balance was off, and I nearly crashed into our dog…who, bless her, looked like she was cheering me on.

But I did it.

Not because I was brave, but because people I trusted and loved believed in me. Their courage helped me find mine. Their love gave me space to step out of shame and into growth. That’s the power of community. That’s the power of grace.

And now? I can ride a bike. Still a little shaky on the turns, but I can ride. More importantly, I’m not hiding anymore.

And if a grown man can learn to ride a bike in his backyard with a cheering dog and a wife jogging beside him… maybe you can face your fear too.

So… what’s your bike?
What’s the thing you’ve avoided? The fear that’s held you back? The thing you’ve been pretending doesn’t exist, but deep down has kept you from moving forward.

You’re not alone. And you don’t have to stay stuck.

It starts with naming it. Sharing it. And letting someone help you take that first, wobbly step.

God hasn’t called us to stay stuck in fear or shame. He invites us to trust Him, right where we are. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10, NIV)

He’s not embarrassed by your story. He wants to redeem it. He wants to teach you to pedal in freedom…even if you feel like it’s too late.

It might be shaky at first. You might fall. But every time you get back on that bike and every pedal forward is a win. Every honest moment is a crack in the chains that have held you back.

So, here’s the challenge:
Don’t let another season pass by stuck where you are.

Tell someone. Take a step. Trust that the same God who brings light to darkness can teach even the most fearful heart how to ride in freedom.

Because stuck might be your starting place.
But it doesn’t have to be the end of your story.

If this encouraged you, check out more articles from our Flatirons Spiritual Formation Team for practical tools, encouragement, and ways to grow in your faith and leadership. Click here.