“I think it was the “blue” that did it. A shiny blue bike of my very own… I had always hated the A to B-ness of life. Now, I could go where I liked. I could start at A, head for M, and stop off for a while at F if it took my fancy. If I changed my mind at F, I might forget M and pay a little visit to Q, which, as we all know, is only down the road from R. It was lovely, and I loved it… In the course of just riding easily to and fro, I made real contact with the child inside myself, and in the process learned a simple and profound truth about contact with God. I discovered that a prayer didn’t have to start at A and end at B either. I learned or started to learn that it is quite legitimate, and –dare I say- enjoyable, to meander aimlessly around, just enjoying the nearness of God, in the same way that you don’t have to arrange special activities to enjoy being with a friend or a parent. God sat quite happily on his back doorstep, watching me as I pedaled happily around in my prayers, looking up occasionally to smile at him, and feel reassured by the way in which he smiled back. It was a new experience and a very pleasant one, despite the occasions when I fell off my metaphorical bike and bawled like a kid with a bruised knee.”
Adrian Plass “ The growing up pains of Adrian Plass”