The Stolen Bike

“It was sliver and orange BMX bike. A Mongoose. We just took the pegs off, and it has hand brakes.” I described the bike as my son sat on the couch in the other room quietly crying. After the policeman on the phone acknowledged that most stolen bikes are never found, I hung up and told Riley that we were done- there was nothing else we could do. The police said bike would probably never be seen again.
It was a beautiful, sunny Thursday. The boys and a friend had gone to the park to fish—two pulling a wagon loaded with poles and tackle, and two on bicycles. Two-way radio in hand, I had warned them: keep your bikes and the wagon close to you while you fish, or someone could come by and steal your stuff. Two hours later the call crackled over the two-way radio: “Mom! Mom! Riley’s bike is gone! We can’t find it anywhere! It’s not where we left it!”
My heart sank as I pulled into the park. There was my seven year old, sitting on the side of the road, sobbing so hard he was shaking. I got out and hugged him, and he sobbed, “You were right! Some stupid person took it!” After a couple of loops around the park it was clear that the bike was gone. We went home, called the police, and talked a lot about what kind of people there are in the world today and how we can be different.
Friday night we went to the Metro Cruise, a fun event full of hot cars, and a welcome distraction from the bike situation. As we were looking at a motorcycle, we saw a kid on a bike that looked like Riley’s. After much discussion about the bike, we decided it must not have been his, because it had a different back wheel. We decided to leave. Then the most amazing thing happened. When we pulled into our driveway we were met by a neighbor who asked “Did Riley’s bike get stolen?” She went on to tell us that her friend (both are 8th graders) had been at the park and saw the boy take the bike. When the friend described what had happened, the neighbor thought it sounded like Riley’s bike. She described the stolen bike, and it was ours! She not only knew the name of the boy who stole it, but knew where he lived. Then our neighbor informed us that her older brother who is in high school went to get it back. No worries, she said, he’s a black belt in karate. So my husband Mike and our kids went to find the bike with the neighbor kids. He went to the boy’s house, and talked to his mother, who had no idea what was going on and was very upset. “We just want the bike back” we said. His mother told us that her son was at the Metro Cruise with his friends.
Mike went up to Roger’s Plaza where the boys were supposed to be, and decided to ask the police to help him find the kids. It turns out the officer he found just happened to be a school liaison officer. The neighbor kids located the thief, and the police came and talked to him. The conversation was mostly the policeman talking, and the boy saying “Yes Sir.”
“Do you know how old the boy is whose bike you took? Seven! Does that make you feel good about yourself? How would you feel if someone took your things? This little boy cried all afternoon after you took his bike. Do you know that you can go to jail for stealing? This is serious!” and so on. Unfortunately, the thief had given the bike to a friend who took one of the wheels, so he didn’t even have it in his possession. That was Riley’s bike we had seen earlier! Unbelievable. The officer told him to return the bike, wheel and all, to us by 3:00pm Saturday or the police would come to his house to take him to jail. The boy’s mother showed up and the gravity of the situation was really sinking in.
Then another amazing thing happened. The officer was telling the thief how important it was that he stay out of trouble, and how devastating it was to Riley that his bike was gone. If he didn’t get his bike back, he would be so upset. And Riley stepped in front of the officer, faced the boy, stuck out his hand and said with a big smile, “That’s ok man, I forgive you!” What? We didn’t even have the bike back yet! Riley was dishing out forgiveness to this kid without blinking! I couldn’t believe it. Even the officer looked surprised.
We did get the bike back, original wheel and all. It was a situation full of good lessons for all involved, but I think the most valuable lesson for me was about forgiveness. After all that panic, anger, and heartache the fist thing he thought to do was forgive. I’m not sure I would have done the same thing. How many times have I said “forgive us our sins, and we forgive those who sin against us” in reciting the Lord’s Prayer? I guess forgiveness does go both ways. If we walk around angry, never forgiving others, it will be hard for others to forgive us. And what about the unconditional forgiveness we have received from God? That’s ok, man, I forgive you. How can something so simple be so hard?
I’m going to forgive someone this week, even though it will be hard. I challenge you to do the same.
Check out Colossians 3:13: “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”