Let me start by telling you this winter has been tough so far for several reasons. The reason I’m going to discuss now is the inability to ride as often as I’m used to and would like to. The weather has been incredibly uncooperative; wet and windy! I’m thankful we’re not in a drought or having fires, earthquakes, locust infestations, or any of the other crazy things happening elsewhere in the world but I so long to be able to ride regularly. Even on dry days I’m often not able to ride due to the entrance to my building being so muddy/wet. Many days it’s just so wet that I can’t safely maneuver it out to get onto the driveway. I’ve decided I’m going to have to do some work on that once it finally dries up enough, so going forward maybe that won’t be an issue. I’m not exactly sure how to remedy it, but where there’s a will there’s a way, I am sure of that! Recently, the remedy was to put down a piece of carpet my hubby had given me which allowed me enough traction to be able to carefully get out of the building and onto the driveway. My poor bike needs a serious bath, but at least I could ride!
With that being said, it’s reminded me of how hard and frustrating waiting can be, yet how much we can learn during those times. It seems like a large part of our life is spent waiting, but if we are willing we can learn some valuable lessons while we wait. We too often want instant gratification, but in reality when we have that, we miss out on important life lessons.
I’m sure most of us have heard about, or personally known, people who have been given things all of their lives and seem to lack true appreciation for them. The harder we have to work for something, the more we appreciate it, even though it may take longer to do it on our own. My parents thankfully didn’t believe in giving us things we wanted, but instead encouraged us to work for them. Of course we had everything we truly needed when we were kids, but it was up to us once we were old enough to work to earn what we wanted; a job, a car, our own place to live, etc. From my personal experience and observations, the people I’ve seen who have been “handed” those things don’t truly grasp the idea of hard work, sweat equity, and gratitude. There may be those who do, but in my experience that’s just not been the case.
The harder I have to work for something, the more rewarding it is to finally reach that goal. I’m not talking about just material things either. Relationships are the same way, if they’re going to be meaningful and important to us, they require work. When things get tough for us personally, we need to work that much harder and not give up. Giving up is easy, enduring and striving for better is harder but much more rewarding.
My most recent rides definitely made me appreciate several things more. As I rode, I either completely avoided, or paid much closer attention, on many of my favorite roads due to a recent tornado in the little community I live in. I didn’t want to chance possibly running over any debris that could be on the roads that would be detrimental to my bike tires and therefore my own safety.
As I surveyed the damage that was done during the tornado, I couldn’t help notice the amount of destruction caused in such a short period of time. Magnificent old trees were completely uprooted and others were broken off like they were toothpicks. Rooftops were missing and replaced with tarps, some homes were crushed, another was literally moved off it’s foundation, walls crumbled, and debris hung in trees like decorations. Fields upon fields are still littered with debris yet miraculously, there were no deaths or serious injuries reported. God protected human life in the midst of the storm as he promised. Yes I do believe He was ever present during the tornado and protecting those in its path. If He wasn’t the outcome would have been very different in regards to lives saved.
I’m sure the wait for the winds to stop and now for the rebuilding was/is scary, frustrating, and overwhelming for many. It’s been just over a month now since the tornado came through and folks are still waiting on insurance settlements and repairs to be done. I’ve read and heard countless stories of neighbors and strangers coming together to help those affected by the tornado. Sometimes destruction brings blessings and friendships we never knew we needed.
I got thinking more and more about that storm and other storms in our lives and realized that just as the tornado caused serious damage in a very short period of time, our tongues can do the same. Rebuilding or replacing a home is easier than rebuilding or replacing a friendship or relationship of any kind that has been damaged, although both can take quite a bit of time. Sometimes we pray and wait for an apology we never receive. It’s then up to us to decide if we can just forgive and move on. If we don’t, we allow it to steal our joy, whether we realize it at the time or not. Other times we pray and wait and in time we do receive that apology and again we decide how to move on. It’s during all of the wait times that we have to decide how we will handle each situation case by case and if we are going to use that time to learn what He may be trying to teach us, or just exist.
Waiting to be able to ride regularly has been tough I’m not gonna lie, but in the waiting I’m learning patience and also learning other ways to keep that close connection with God and with my own thoughts without allowing other distractions to interfere. I’ve written pieces of this over the past few weeks as I’ve been able to get out to ride, even as recently as today, and finally think I’ve said all He wants me to say for now. If you’re currently in a season of waiting, have faith and believe that better days are coming. There may be more storms to weather along the way, but just as my riding days will soon be more numerous, blessings are often numerous as well and closer than we think.
James 1:2-3
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Ramblings of a Christian Grandma Biker 