Rediscovering Lost Passions: It's Never Too Late

It was kind of a little thing. But I was just tickled over it.

My youngest son had long outgrown his bike. At over six feet tall, he had to borrow his older brother’s larger bike just to get around the neighborhood.

The old bike sat in our garage for years—flat tires, loose handlebars, a forgotten relic. My husband had nudged me more than once to donate it, but something in me hesitated. It felt wrong to give away something broken.

One summer, as I was gathering donations for charity, I looked at the bike again. It wasn’t being used. Why was I hanging on? Then, an idea surfaced—gentle, surprising, and a little bold.

“Why not fix it and ride it myself? “

Yes, it was a boy’s bike. But the middle bar was low enough to be safe. And how much more fun would it be to bike around the neighborhood than trudge along on a treadmill?

But then came the doubt.

“This is silly. I haven’t ridden a bike in over 15 years. What if I can’t do it anymore?“

Still, something nudged me forward. I found a local bike shop that could repair the tires, tighten the handlebars, and give it a good tune-up. Weeks later, after the blazing Texas summer gave way to a cooler breeze, I rolled that little bike onto the driveway and said a quiet prayer.

After adjusting the seat a couple times and hesitating for only a moment, I pushed off.

And I rode. Just like that. I hadn’t forgotten.

There is actually a scientific reason for return of memory of movement. Procedural memory, a type of long-term memory, stores the steps and movements we once mastered—like riding a bike. Even after years, it’s still there, ready to be awakened.

But I believe it’s also more than that.

In this season of life—midlife, empty nests, transitions—we can forget that we still carry God-given abilities and desires that may have just been waiting, gathering dust in the garage of our hearts. Left unattended, yes. A little rusty, maybe. But not gone.

And maybe you feel that way, too. Like certain dreams or callings are too old or too far gone. That it’s too late to start again.

But Scripture reminds us:

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9

God doesn’t retire us. He renews us. The good we can do—even the joy we can rediscover—still has a season to bloom. So maybe it’s time to take something out of storage—literally or figuratively—and give it another try. That skill you once enjoyed. That dream you’ve shelved. That spark of creativity you haven’t let yourself explore.

You never know. It might be just like riding a bike.

A close-up of a bicycle with daisies in the basket, accompanied by inspirational text from Galatians 6:9.

Journaling Prompt:
What is something you used to enjoy that you’ve set aside—whether due to time, fear, or life circumstances? Ask God to show you if it’s time to revisit that gift or interest. What small step could you take this week to try it again?

Disclosure: Scriptures marked ESV are taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION (ESV): Scriptures taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION ® Copyright© 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission
Disclosure: The featured image at the beginning of this post was generated using AI and is not a photograph of a real person or actual event.