I Never Learned to Ride a Bike — Until Sweden Changed Everything
Freedom on Two Wheels — On Courage, Community, and God’s Grace Along the Road
Learning to ride a bicycle as an adult in northern Sweden wasn’t something I had planned. But sometimes it’s in the most unexpected challenges that faith finds its depth.
For a long time I held on to the belief that learning to ride a bicycle as an adult would be an enormous, perhaps impossible, undertaking. I pictured months of frustration and wobbling — an uphill battle that most people had left behind in childhood. But God has a wonderful way of surprising us the moment we step out in faith. As it turned out, all it took was a day or two.
Those days were anything but easy. The humbling was real. I learned the hard way — falling again and again, scraping my knees and elbows, and eventually realising I had barely thought about the brakes. Rolling along out of control is not without its consequences. But every fall reminded me of something true: genuine growth asks us to be willing to get back up.
Learning to Navigate
Even the seemingly simple things felt overwhelming at first. Figuring out how to turn left or right was surprisingly daunting — suddenly it wasn’t just about staying upright. I had to actively read my surroundings and make decisions in a fraction of a second. Every intersection demanded a level of presence and focus I hadn’t anticipated.
Yet this journey was never only about mastering a physical skill. It quickly became a testimony to the power of community. When the bike needed repairing after my rough treatment of it, I wasn’t left to figure it out alone. A wholehearted thank you goes to Josh and Hamid, who stepped up without hesitation — walking me patiently through what had gone wrong, helping fix it, and getting me safely back on the road. That kind of unconditional help is nothing less than the body of Christ in motion: carrying one another’s burdens, just as it was always meant to be.
The Highway Trial
Once the bike was finally running smoothly, it was time to actually explore the beauty around Luleå. Working out which roads were safe and which paths were meant for cyclists became its own adventure — and navigating the city gave me a completely new way of experiencing it. But it also handed me a fast, intense lesson in vulnerability and road safety.
Day three on the bike. My friend Egle and I cycled out to a local shopping centre in the crisp northern air — a pure adventure. But on the way home, things took an unexpected turn. We ended up having to ride along the edge of a highway. Heavy traffic came rushing past just behind us, and the knowledge that a single wrong move could be catastrophic was completely nerve-wracking. Quite frankly, it was terrifying.
But God gives us companions for the hardest roads. Egle and I faced it as a true team — not her guiding me or me following her, but a genuine shared effort. We communicated the whole way through, kept watch for each other, and called out words of encouragement over the roar of the traffic. In that moment of rising panic, I held on to a promise I had known for years, but never felt so concretely as I did then:
“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 41:10With combined strength and the quiet power that only the Lord provides, we fixed our eyes on the road ahead. We shut out the fear together and simply kept pedalling — until we were finally home. Through teamwork and the grace of God, we made it. Together.
A Freedom That Lasts
Looking back at the scrapes, the early wobbling, and that heart-pounding highway ride alongside a friend, I am certain it was worth every second. The fear has been replaced by joy. Today I can ride comfortably and peacefully to EFS Kyrkan and back — and those stretches through the Luleå streets have become a time of stillness, reflection, and simple delight.
Learning to ride a bicycle is one of those practical skills that opens up an extraordinary sense of freedom — and I am deeply grateful it happened here, in Sweden, as part of this volunteering project. The Good Seed Project has opened doors I didn’t know existed, and pushing my own limits in this way stands as one of the most meaningful personal highlights of the whole experience.
More than a way of getting around, the bicycle has become a way of stewarding the body God gave me — staying healthy, active, and close to creation. The falls, the bruises, and the fear were temporary. But the freedom to move, and the faith that was built along the way, is permanent.
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