When I was 5 years old, I was still riding an old tricycle but passionately longed for a two-wheeler “like the big kids” and would have done anything to get one. Then someone at school put the word “possibility” on my dream when she told me if I sold a bunch of newspaper subscriptions, I could earn myself a bike for free!

I wasn’t sure what a subscription was but knew I could figure out how to sell them if it meant I’d end up with a new bike! From that day forward, I began pestering my parents with the idea. Although they didn’t think I could do it, they got tired of my badgering and eventually agreed to make the arrangements.

Going door-to-door in our neighborhood was safe for a 5 year old in 1950, and it didn’t take long before I’d sold enough subscriptions (20) to earn the bicycle. I’ll never forget the beauty of that big classy bike with its shiny maroon paint. It was too tall for me to do anything but stand as I rode, but that didn’t matter. We were perfect together.

It wasn’t long before I begged Mom to let me take it to school, even though we lived just across a field from there and usually walked. I wanted to ride the long way around on the road, like other kids did, and finally Mom said yes.

But that day, some time during school hours, my bike was stolen. It disappeared from the bike rack without a trace, and I was devastated. Dad called the police and filed a report, but my beautiful new bike was never found.

All of us can point to raw experiences in our childhoods, and sometimes the resulting wounds fester for years. Although there are far worse things than getting a bike stolen, it was a big deal at the time. Looking back on a broken-hearted little girl, I could say, “Where was God when a thief made off with that bike?”

We could ask the same question about every injustice in this world today, but his answer would always be the same: “I was right here where I’ve always been.”

The fact that God doesn’t stop all injustice doesn’t mean he’s choosing to be mean to us. It can only be that he sees a positive purpose in each negative challenge. Not that child abuse or other travesties are positive. Of course not! But running to the Lord whenever we feel crushed by circumstances is always an uplifting thing to do. If we’ve been wounded, he stands ready to heal with comfort.

As for me, after my bike disappeared I couldn’t summon up enough enthusiasm to start selling all over again. Instead I played upon two sympathetic parents who eventually bought me another bike. But nice as it was, it never compared to the love I felt for my first two-wheeler.

“You, God, tested us… We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.” (Psalm 66:10,12)