I am still sweaty from this morning's ride. Today's cycling goal was not distance, nor was it time. It was detail.
Last evening a friend asked me about the routes I had been taking for my rides. In answering him I realized that, while I could give him the road and city names, I could describe little about the world around these roads. I suppose this is of little surprise when one tucks his head and pushes pedals, looking up only to survey traffic ahead. It occurred to me that somewhere along the way I had lost the real purpose of cycling.
Another passion is hiking. I confess a frustration in sharing this passion with others who want to talk about nothing but hiking. "How many miles do you think we've done?" "My legs are really feeling pretty good"...or "pretty bad." "How much farther?" This is frustrating because...well...hiking isn't really about hiking. It's about exploring God's good creation in a new manner. In the same way, cycling isn't really about pushing pedals or getting from point "A" to point "B".
So this morning, I picked a 10-mile loop and rode it four times, each time looking for something new in the surroundings that I had missed on the previous loop. Low and behold, there were actually people out in their yards! Beautifully sculpted yards at that. There were motorists that waved and seagulls that had ventured inland. I noticed golfers missing give-me putts and other cyclists warming down from their rides (who didn't notice me...poor guys don't get it). I finished this ride marvelously renewed.
My daily routine is often about pushing pedals. It may look like staff meetings and hospital visits and team meetings, but it can easily become like head-down pedal pushing. Tasks get accomplished, sometimes quite well. But along the way we often fail to recognize the beauty of the One we serve and the beauty of His creation around. It's more than 'stop and smell the roses.' It's a way of living.
On the way back onto the island, I noticed a young, decked out cyclist ahead of me...a 19ish-year-old, head down and pumping hard. In other words, "a target." I couldn't resist leaping out of the saddle and reeling him in just before the top of the bridge. I wondered if he noticed the 43ish-year-old blue blur that passed him. I noticed him. In fact, even said "Good morning!" All right. Pumping hard is fun at times.
I don't know which book I shall dive into this day. But I know that I shall not read it only to complete it. I shall read it for discovery of something new.
God's blessings!
Last evening a friend asked me about the routes I had been taking for my rides. In answering him I realized that, while I could give him the road and city names, I could describe little about the world around these roads. I suppose this is of little surprise when one tucks his head and pushes pedals, looking up only to survey traffic ahead. It occurred to me that somewhere along the way I had lost the real purpose of cycling.
Another passion is hiking. I confess a frustration in sharing this passion with others who want to talk about nothing but hiking. "How many miles do you think we've done?" "My legs are really feeling pretty good"...or "pretty bad." "How much farther?" This is frustrating because...well...hiking isn't really about hiking. It's about exploring God's good creation in a new manner. In the same way, cycling isn't really about pushing pedals or getting from point "A" to point "B".
So this morning, I picked a 10-mile loop and rode it four times, each time looking for something new in the surroundings that I had missed on the previous loop. Low and behold, there were actually people out in their yards! Beautifully sculpted yards at that. There were motorists that waved and seagulls that had ventured inland. I noticed golfers missing give-me putts and other cyclists warming down from their rides (who didn't notice me...poor guys don't get it). I finished this ride marvelously renewed.
My daily routine is often about pushing pedals. It may look like staff meetings and hospital visits and team meetings, but it can easily become like head-down pedal pushing. Tasks get accomplished, sometimes quite well. But along the way we often fail to recognize the beauty of the One we serve and the beauty of His creation around. It's more than 'stop and smell the roses.' It's a way of living.
On the way back onto the island, I noticed a young, decked out cyclist ahead of me...a 19ish-year-old, head down and pumping hard. In other words, "a target." I couldn't resist leaping out of the saddle and reeling him in just before the top of the bridge. I wondered if he noticed the 43ish-year-old blue blur that passed him. I noticed him. In fact, even said "Good morning!" All right. Pumping hard is fun at times.
I don't know which book I shall dive into this day. But I know that I shall not read it only to complete it. I shall read it for discovery of something new.
God's blessings!
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