The Orange Bike

Aaron was about three when one of my dear friends decided to practice tough love on her boys.  They had several bikes between them and would not put them away.  My friend told her sons that the next time they left a bike out, it would go in the garbage.  The next time a bike was left out, she was true to her word.

One of the boys left a rather nice bike out and she put it with the trash cans on garbage day.  The bike was designed for freestyle tricks.  It was expensive and she didn't really want it to be hauled away as garbage.  Our neighbors, my family included, were really good about passing around things our kids had outgrown or we no longer used.  She saw my husband and said he should take the bike to save for Aaron, so PK did.

Aaron eventually grew into the bike and got great use out of it.  Then he outgrew it.  Hannah had Rachel's old bike, so we no longer needed Aaron's old bike.  I had a yard sale one day and my friend who happens to be on staff at our church came to sit with me.  She said if we didn't sell the bike she would buy it for her son.  I insisted that she immediately load it up.  I would much rather pass things on to friends who need them than try to sell them at a yard sale.  After all, the bike was given to us.

My friend's son learned how to ride a bike without training wheels on that bike.  She mentioned several times what a blessing that bike had been to her son.  I really thought nothing of it as I was very glad he was having fun with it.  He also outgrew it.

This past Saturday our church preschool had a yard sale.  Families from the preschool and church members donated a variety of items.  When I came to work the yard sale Saturday morning, I saw that the bike was for sale.

My friend was at the yard sale all day.  Toward the end she sent a text asking if Aaron could sleepover with her son.  When she came to pick Aaron up, she said the bike sold.

A little boy rode the bike around and around the church yard.  He asked his dad if he could have the bike, but the dad did not have the money.  The little boy came to the table and asked how much the bike cost.  My friend asked how much money he had.  He pulled out his little wallet and counted out his coin.  "I have seventy cents."  The reply, "That is exactly how much that bike costs."

Who knew how many little boys would be blessed by one orange bike?