Banged-Up Bike

To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, March 2.

By Andrew McChesney

J

udah usually walked to church. The church was just up the road from his house, and it only took five minutes by foot. Usually he walked with his parents.

But one day, while he was waiting for his parents to get ready, Judah had a bright idea. He would ride his bicycle to church. Father and Mother had told him not to take his bicycle to church. They said he didn’t need to go by bike because the church was so close. They also were worried about an accident.

But Judah loved to ride his bike. It was a marvelous bike painted yellow with black trim. He thought, “If I go now, they won’t know. They won’t see me.” He didn’t stop to think what would happen when his parents saw the bike at church. He just wanted to go.

Judah went outside and very, very quietly pushed the bicycle to the front gate. Once outside the gate, he got onto the bike. He felt excited. He felt like he should go very fast to church, so he pedaled as fast as he could. He didn’t understand why his parents had forbidden him from riding the bike to church. The road went straight up a hill from his house to the church. He didn’t even need to turn. It didn’t seem dangerous.

As Judah pedaled as fast as he could up the hill, he quickly got tired. He stopped for a moment at an intersection to catch his breath. At that moment, he heard the roar of a big motorcycle.

The motorcyclist didn’t even try to stop. He was coming too fast. Just as Judah stopped his bike, the motorcycle slammed into him.

The yellow bike with black trim was crushed. Judah felt OK. He looked over at the motorcyclist. He hadn’t been wearing a helmet, and his head was bleeding.

Judah saw the blood and was scared.

“If he dies, I’ll go to jail,” he thought. “If I go to jail, my parents will kill me.”

Neighbors came running. Someone gave water to the motorcyclist. Someone washed his head and asked how he felt. Then someone asked Judah how he felt.

“I’m fine,” Judah said.

Then he heard the neighbors arguing over who had caused the accident. Some said Judah was to blame. Others said the motorcyclist was at fault. Someone ran to Judah’s house and told his parents.

Father came and helped clear the crowd.

“Why didn’t you listen to me?” he asked Judah.

The boy didn’t say anything.

“If something happens to you, what will your mother and I do?” Father said.

Judah hung his head.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Father picked up the mangled bike and carried it home. Mother met the pair on the way. At the house, Father, Mother, and Judah prayed. “Thank You, God, for saving my son,” Father said.

Then Mother treated Judah’s cuts. She declared that he was fine.

That night, however, Judah woke up with a pain in his arm. He went to the hospital the next day and learned that he had a fractured elbow. It was painful, but he got better after a while. The motorcyclist also recovered.

After the accident, Judah was banned from riding bicycles until he is 16. Now he is 13, and that seems like a long time to wait. He remembers the accident every time he walks to church. He wishes that he had obeyed his parents. He misses his bicycle. But he is grateful to God for protecting him.

“God saved me,” he said. “It could have been a lot worse. Everyone who looks at my wrecked bike says, ‘God saved you.’”

Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help construct a church near Judah’s school in Bengaluru, India. Judah’s school is on the same campus as Lowery Adventist College. Thank you for planning a generous offering.