Author: christiangrandmabiker

This weekend’s rides seemed to make me think about this word repeatedly, quality. We often hear about quality of life, especially when discussing someone who has been diagnosed with an illness such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and many other diseases.  In my job, when  I train staff I always stress the importance of delivering quality services to the individuals we serve. Everyone deserves our best,  whether it’s at work,  with our family,  or others we encounter day to day.

Each of us needs to desire to be a better person today than we were yesterday.  We all have “off” days and there’s always room for improvement. This weekend presented itself to be full of quality family time. I got to spend quality time with my precious 7 month old granddaughter,  my son and daughter in law, my mom and my mother and father in law.  I also got to go riding with my hubby! That doesn’t happen very often because of his work schedule. It was a quality ride and was an absolutely fantastic feeling for me. He is the reason I started riding to begin with so any time we get to ride together,  it means more to me than I can explain.  Like I said,  it’s quality time that counts most, at least in my opinion.

God wants us to spend quality time with Him as well; in prayer, in His Word, and in daily fellowship with Him, as well as with other believers. He wants sincerity and honesty and hears our every thought.  That means all of our  thoughts.

Psalm 139:4

“Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely”

I hate to admit it, but all of my thoughts are not the best quality all of the time. I’m human and therefore I’m a sinner with some less than favorable thoughts on occasion.  I’m thankful that He’s full of grace and mercy. I know when I don’t measure up, He will forgive me if I repent and He will extend forgiveness. I can then work on doing better, trying to provide a better representation of who He wants me to be.

Ephesians 2:8

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Each new day is a new chance to strive for a better quality of life. He will help if we only ask from a sincere heart believing in Him.

Hebrews 10:19-25

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God,²² let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

This week has been an interesting one when it came to communication. We now have so many possible ways to communicate in every aspect of our lives.

I noticed while riding,  drivers communicate by the way they drive. Some are very courteous to others, while others tend to drive aggressively. Others seem to be in their own world and totally unaware of what’s going on around them.

This got me thinking about other ways we now communicate with others. This week we lost our internet service for awhile and there have been outages off and on all week in the area. This means that communication by email and FB messenger as well as other social media were affected.  This is obviously more important to some than others.  We rely so much on technology now it’s actually kind of sad.

Today while I was riding, I saw repair trucks parked where they were working on the phone lines, I heard my phone going off as I came to a stop, and it hit me. When I was growing up,  if you wanted to talk to someone, you called them on the home phone ( a rotary dial phone at that) or you went to see them, even showing up unannounced.  Our phone was a party line.  If anyone is not familiar with that,  it meant we shared our phone line with others.  Sometimes I would pick up the phone to call a friend,  and someone else was using the line so I had to wait, or just go to my friend’s house and talk. There was no Facebook,  no Instagram, no texting or snapchatting. We had real person to person conversations regularly.

Unfortunately we can now communicate without ever seeing the other person for any reason. Face to face communication is becoming less and less “normal”. There’s an abundance  of miscommunication as well,  because what’s written in an email, text, or message is interpreted differently than the way the sender intended it. If people spoke face to face more,  I believe there would be far less miscommunication.

Luckily for us, we can communicate with God any time; day or night,  out loud or in our head, regardless of the internet connection or phone signal. He’s always there wanting to hear from us. Have you ever contacted someone and had the feeling they really didn’t want to talk to you? I’m glad God’s not like that.  I personally am thankful He is always there to listen to, support,  encourage, and yes discipline me. He is my rock and my Savior. No matter how bad my day may be, I always know I can go to Him and He will make me feel better.

More and more I see people suffering from medical issues, depression, feelings of despair, anxiety and anger.  These are people of all ages, from all walks of life,  and all income and education ranges. Thanks to technology and the media, it’s not surprising that so many feel hopeless.

My hope is in Christ alone. I turn off the news and media and rarely watch any news of any kind. There is a local reporter I’ve mentioned before who shares good news stories and I do check her reports out, but that’s about it. I have found that since I’ve been riding,  and having way more uninterrupted conversations with God,  I am a much happier person and I let a whole lot less things bother me. God’s got it, so why sweat it?!

I choose joy. Joy doesn’t mean always being happy. One definition is simply, “a source or cause of delight.” Jesus is my source, so how can I not have joy? All I need to do is communicate.

Have you ever stopped to really wonder about delays you experience in life? I recently was getting ready to ride and the zipper pull on my boot broke off. This was a delay I initially was not happy about.  When I was telling my hubby, he reminded me that his dad and I are always saying when something delays us, it’s God’s way of protecting us from something.  Well, although I was delayed by my boot issue,  I then discovered, with the help of my hubby, that the new boots he had ordered for me had arrived and neither of us knew it. The delivery driver left them in a location they’ve never left packages at before.  So because of the delay, I got to try out my new boots to ride that day. I don’t know what God was protecting me from, but I was thankful for the delay. Delay=something new

As I rode that day and other days since it made me think about many delays I have experienced.  Every delay I could think of has had results, now looking back, that were good in some way.

This past weekend we had planned to go out of town to celebrate my husband’s birthday.  We were wanting to do some hiking, and because of the forecast and rain chances being pretty high,  we delayed our trip. Although the delay was frustrating, it was also rewarding. We made other plans and in doing so we discovered a cool place to eat out.  This is something we rarely do, but I can see us going to this place again. The atmosphere was totally different than any place we’ve ever been and it was small, uncrowded,  and very relaxing. That in itself is worth quite a bit to us, especially being it was a Saturday night and on race week-end. If you’ve never been to a Tijuana Flats before and find yourself near one,  check it out sometime. Because we didn’t get to go out of town, I also got to spend some unexpected time with my sweet granddaughter. Delay=fun and a new experience

I have experienced other delays personally and at the time I saw no good coming out of them.  Looking back now though I can see that most delays were because God was saving me from something and He had better plans. Delays =God’s plan.

We may experience delays that we never see a reason for, but I’ve come to believe that they are God’s plan and He most definitely knows better than I do,  what I do and don’t need. I am trying hard to remind myself of that daily. I can become impatient,  although I will say I’ve gotten better about this.

Today’s ride after work was very much needed and in talking with God along the way, He showed me other times when his delays saved me from myself. He saved me from following through on poor decisions and from making choices that would not have been wise.

The next time you are delayed from something,  stop and say thank you.  See if just that mindset alone doesn’t make you feel better about whatever is happening.  Delays =time to say thanks and reflect

“Father, if it is your will, take this cup away from me; nevertheless not my will but yours, be done.” Luke 22:42

Lauren Daigle sings the following song entitled I will Trust in You – check it out,

Have you ever stopped to think about what a powerful word that is; if? It’s only 2 letters and yet it can change so many things. I have been riding a lot and thinking about so many different things while I ride. I finally have my car back from the shop, but I got so used to riding the bike everywhere, that I have just continued to use it as my main transportation. As a matter of fact the first time I used the car to run errands I actually felt a bit claustrophobic.

Twice in the past 4 days, IF I had been driving my car instead of my bike I would have been hit head on! There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that it did not happen due to the grace of God and the fact I was on my bike. Being on the bike I was able to get to the far side of my lane and not be hit, and due to the grace of God He allowed me to remain calm enough to handle it. The first episode was Saturday on my way to my son’s when a truck pulling a utility trailer was way over on my side of the road and he alone never got over far enough to have saved me IF I had been in my car. The other time was today when a new SUV with those big tires was literally flying right at me in my lane and headed straight for me. Again, with God’s help and being on the bike, I was able to get out of the way of yet another driver that was not paying attention. This time was a much closer call and I’ll be honest, as soon as I was able to get to a place where it was safe to pull off the road and gather myself I did exactly that, after thanking God for his protection of course. I believe I have mentioned before that I pray before I ride every time I get on the bike. I will also be doing that every time I get behind the wheel in any vehicle from now on.

I have ridden on some new to me roads and some old roads. I have done some “smooth sailing” rides on main roads as well as some thought provoking pay extra attention roads full of twists and turns. What IF I never started riding? IF I didn’t learn to ride, I would have missed some beautiful scenery and I would have missed out on a lot of conversations with God. I would not now have that “quiet” place where I can talk to Him and hear from Him uninterrupted. (Except when I’m interrupted by crazy drivers that want my side of the road). I also would not have discovered a place this past week-end that was actually someplace my hubby and I had gone walking once when we dated and I could never remember where it was. I found it by accident but it was great, and brought back wonderful memories.

I have thought about other things while riding, like a friend who has been slowly watching her husband die from what started out as diabetes and today claimed his life on earth. IF she did not have a strong faith in God and His plan, she would be handling this very differently than she is. IF she did not have this faith, literally thousands of people would not have witnessed their love for each other or for their Lord.

I have thought about the fact that some people just plain can get on my nerves. But IF that was not the case, then I would not learn how to deal with people’s differences. This would be a boring place IF we were all the same. When other people or our job or situations annoy us, we can let it bring us down or we can use it to grow and rise above it. IF we didn’t have difficulties to go through, we would become stagnant and we would not rely on God the way we need to. Let’s face it, when things are going along smoothly it’s easy to forget to stop and thank Him for the good times. I’ve seen many times when someone has said, what IF I only have the things today that I thanked God for yesterday? What would any of us have right now IF that were true?

I am not a political person and I will not get into discussions about politics. I choose not to watch the news or get sucked into believing everything I read. I figure God already knows what tomorrow holds and my knowing about it or not, will not change the outcome. I choose to put my life in His hands and see what He has in store.

What IF people stopped listening to the media and reacting to everything they see and hear?

What IF we just loved each other for who we are and stopped thinking we are owed something?

What IF we stopped having our feelings hurt every time someone disagrees with us?

The list of “what ifs” could go on forever.

Today instead of saying what IF, I say thank you Lord for sparing my life again and thank you for loving me enough to send your Son to die on the cross for my sins!

IF I never have another “rambling”, I pray that I have touched just 1 person with those I have had so far. IF not, I know it has at least helped me to try to be a better person than I was yesterday and forced me to see things at least a little bit differently.

Psalm 91:14-16 NIV

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

I know it’s been a while since I’ve rambled. To say the past couple of weeks have been challenging and interesting would be an understatement. I’m not going to get into all that other than to say, I am thankful to have a God that never seems to get tired of listening to me and a bike that gets me where I need to go.

This morning after my coffee I decided I needed to run to the Post Office and of course that meant on the bike, as the car was now in the shop. Initially I was just headed to the PO and then home, but of course that didn’t happen. It was a beautiful sunny morning and the air was crisp and clean, not to mention I had a full tank of gas and a brand new front tire that needed to be broken in. What better way to do that than on a curvy country road on a Saturday morning! The traffic was light and it just felt like a perfect day for riding. I rode that same curvy road I mentioned recently that my hubby had told me to check out. This time I was a bit more familiar with it so it was even better, knowing what to expect as far as curves and turns to take, no dead ends today.

As I rode along I was thinking about pictures I’ve recently seen and articles I’ve read about bikers wanting to add some “bling” to their bikes or do some custom painting or decals to “make it theirs.” I have a purple decal of a woman biker that is praying at the cross while kneeling next to her bike on my windshield and a little white lamb wearing a Jesus Loves me shirt strapped to my passenger seat but that’s as personalized as mine gets. Other people want to modify their bikes to make them louder, perform better, or any number of other things.

As I was thinking about this on my ride today and looking at other bikes I met on the road, I was thinking how we do the same things to ourselves. We do things that may change our appearance; tattoos, piercings, manicures, make-up, weight loss, etc. While all of those things may alter our appearances, they do not truly affect who we are. We are the same person on the inside no matter what we look like on the outside. If others judge us based solely on the outside, they are missing out. We live in a world that is so judgmental based on what others see on the outside. If I was covered in tattoos and piercings and weighed 100 lbs more or 100 lbs less, I would still be the same person on the inside, but I would be seen by others differently. Jesus loves us for who we are, not what we look like. We are all made in His image; Genesis 1:27- “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

We are not what others see on the outside and we are not our past. I don’t believe there is one person living who doesn’t have something in their past that they would change if they could, or something about themselves that they would like to be at least a little bit different if they’re honest about it. I know both of these statements are true for me.

I also mentioned modifications that some people want to make to their bikes to make them “better.” We can also modify ourselves to make us better. We can change our attitudes, the way we think about ourselves and others, the way we react to circumstances we find ourselves in, and the list goes on. Personally, thanks to God, I have learned to be silent more. Silent so I can hear Him better, and also silent at times when, in the past, I would have had to make my point or speak my mind. Sometimes silence is a much better option. No reaction to certain things in our daily lives can be so much healthier for us mentally than reacting or sometimes even over-reacting. I wish I had learned this sooner in life, but as they say it’s better late than never.

I am still a work in progress on the outside and the inside and I am grateful that God is always there, no matter what storms I may go through. He has never failed me and I know He never will, even though I fail Him daily.

Deuteronomy 31:6  “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

What does a long weekend with beautiful weather mean? A lot of riding time thankfully! The Labor Day weekend provided some great riding weather and therefore some good quiet time to think, reflect, and just chill out while enjoying the scenery.

On one of my rides there was a change in plans. What started out with plans for a long ride got changed shortly after it got started. I came to a stop light and heard my phone going off. I got to a location where I could safely pull off the road to check it and long story short, my mom needed help. I sent my hubby a text and asked him to join me to help her.  When I arrived,  mom said she hated to bother me and mess up my ride. I told her that’s what family is for, I can ride later.  I’m just thankful I heard the phone ring because I wasn’t wearing my earbud.  Hubby also arrived and we helped her and as we were talking and I was going to get ready to ride again,  my uncle called and he needed help as well. My wonderful hubby stayed with mom and I went on to help my uncle. While taking him where he needed to go, he apologized for interrupting my Sunday ride time on such a pretty day. I told him the same thing,  that’s what family is for.

Yes both situations interrupted riding, but I’m thankful for those interruptions. It means they are both still here alive and well enough to ask for assistance if they need it. I’ve learned to never take family for granted, you never know when something can happen to change it.

The fact I made a bad choice 31 years ago,  forced me to learn how to handle situations I may not have learned otherwise.  Making a good decision 11 years ago, taught me I also now have someone I can depend on for help and to help keep me balanced.  Both of those decisions play a factor in how I was able to properly respond and assist Sunday. God allows us to make the choices we make,  and He can use those choices to help us see things differently.  I am thankful for that as well. He could stop us from making bad choices,  but then we wouldn’t learn from them.

I have felt like I was “bothering ” and “interrupting” God from time to time when I’ve called on Him, just like my mom and uncle felt like they were bothering me. I know without a shadow of a doubt, God is there day or night when I call out to him without making me feel bad. I may sometimes come across as being “rough” in some situations, but God is not. I wish my reactions never came across that way, but I’m human and I’m sure they do. For anyone I’m close to that’s reading this,  I sincerely apologize if that has ever been the case with my reaction to you.

I never have a set plan as to where I’m riding when I leave home, just that I’m planning to ride. It’s the only time that I am totally spontaneous. I think this spontaneity has helped me adjust to sudden changes in plans personally and at work.  Things that used to require alot of time for me to “process “, no longer do. I can adjust to change much easier now.  A ride I took on Monday was such a ride.  I took a ride on a road I recently went on for the first time and this time when I got to the end, I decided to try a road my hubby told me about.  I turned where I thought he’d told me to turn,  only to later see a sign that said, “Road ends 500 feet “. Well that’s definitely a game changer! I turned around at the end and headed back where I came from. I saw another road that I thought might be the one I should have taken so I turned on it.

This was an awesome road and was where my hubby had told me about. There wasn’t a lot of traffic but I did have a few vehicles come up behind me. They didn’t seem to be in a hurry so I just kept going along enjoying the scenery without worrying I was holding them up in any way. I believe this road had the most twists and turns of any road I’ve ever been on while riding the bike. If I’d been on the Sportster I used to ride,  it would not have been enjoyable, but with my current bike it was incredible.

I could have let the wrong turn ruin my ride,  but instead I just took another route. Life is like that; we can let bad choices and “dead ends” defeat us, or we can decide to try another road.  I would have missed out on so much if I’d just come home because that one particular road ended.

I am thankful for 2nd chances,  and in some case 3rd and 4th and more chances. I am thankful for interruptions and changes in plans.

I imagine God is thankful when we reach out to him for help,  just like we are when others reach out to us for help. He is eagerly waiting to help us through the wrong turns and bad decisions we make. He is willing to help us get turned around, if we only ask. Sometimes what seem like interruptions or changes in plan to us, ( twists,  turns,  and dead ends) may be God’s way of keeping us from something harmful to us.

One of my favorite verses tell us just that and has gotten me through many circumstances I’ve found myself in:

Proverbs 3:5-6

It’s been an interesting week so far to say the least.  My bike was overdue for a service and I was able to get it scheduled before the holiday weekend -YAY! My husband followed me there in my car so I could go to work then later that day come back to get my bike. All was well, or so I thought, until my hubby coasted in to the parking lot and told me my car died. Well this was not what either of us wanted to deal with but honestly,  my car being down is alot less stressful than if it was my bike.

I drive my car to get from point A to point B. I ride the bike to get places as well, but more importantly I ride to feel alive. Riding relieves stress for me, awakens all of my senses,  gives me time to think and feel things I don’t otherwise experience.  If you’ve never ridden I’m sure this makes no sense to you, I never would have understood it before I started riding 2 years ago today.

Although my poor car needs help,  it’s honestly not stressing me out like it once would have.

There was a bright side to it breaking yesterday, a silver lining. My hubby needed to get home, so we borrowed a helmet from the repair shop owner and we rode my bike home. It was awesome. Now that we both have our own bikes we don’t ride double,  but doing it yesterday was a flashback and I totally loved being on the back again, holding onto him,  and having total trust in him to get us home.  Riding double with him is also a great stress reliever and great feeling.  I then took the bike back to get serviced so it’s good to go. My car, however,  is not good to go but I’m not going to bore you with that. This too shall pass.

Again the bike is helping with how I am able to deal with situations I find myself in. As frustrating as yesterday was in many ways, I was able to ride and talk to God about it all uninterrupted.  The result of these rides and talks is I’m able to relax and listen better for what God is trying to tell me, which in turn I believe helps me to listen to others as well. It’s teaching me more and more to be still,  to allow others to help,  and to appreciate others more.

I have always been more of a leader than a follower, but sometimes it’s nice to allow others to lead. I’m trying to learn to do this more. It’s not easy to do, but I believe it’s necessary in order to be balanced.

Riding a bike requires balance and requires you to “back off” in some situations on the road or you will lose a battle that can cause you harm.  Life is the same way. We need to find a balance in life and sometimes that means backing off in certain situations.

We are not called to do it all. We are called to do what we can, when we can, where we can. We all have strengths and weaknesses and we need to work together to get the best results.

Although the trials continue, I know He already knows the outcome and I will continue to put my faith in Him. I know I need His help,  just as I need help from others sometimes, in order to best handle what life throws my way.

Psalm 46:10

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

James 1:2-4

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. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

This past week-end was some great riding. The weather was cooler, the air felt crisp and clean and refreshing. I love when the seasons start to give you a glimpse into changes ahead. Speaking of change I know one thing I need to change soon and that’s the chair at this computer-it’s a killer to sit in. Sorry, now you know why I call it “ramblings” .

Anyway, change can be good, it can be bad, it can be nerve racking and exciting all at the same time. I guess a lot of how it affects us depends on what the change means for our lives and the lives of those we love. As I rode on Saturday, I went on a road I have never been on before. It was a road my father in law mentioned to me on Friday and he referred to as his “old stomping grounds”. I of course had to check it out and I am so glad I did. The road itself was a little rough but that was OK because there was no construction, very little traffic, and the scenery was definitely worth it. I saw several areas where you could pull off and go fishing along the river which reminded me of times spent with my brother growing up. There were areas that were heavily wooded that reminded me of my daddy and hunting, and then there was this awesome stone wall. For some reason this stone wall immediately brought back many childhood memories. I used to go walking by myself in the woods around our home. I am the “baby” of the family and my brother was next in line but 5 years older so he of course didn’t ALWAYS want to be with his little sister. I have always enjoyed nature and being able to just go for a hike or enjoy time alone doing things outside. I guess maybe that is part of why riding has become such an amazing change for me. It’s one of those changes that was initially nerve racking but now is very exciting and yet calming.

This stone wall reminded me of taking puppies for a walk with me, sitting on the stone wall and playing with Play-doh . Why did I carry Play-doh into the woods you ask? Very good question and I have no idea why I did it but that stone wall reminded me of it. It’s highly possible I wasn’t supposed to take it outside where it would get dirty and that’ s why I took it into the woods where nobody would know. Isn’t it interesting the memories you recall for no real reason, or maybe it’s just me that does it. Its kind of like when I start a conversation with my poor husband mid thought and he has no idea what I am talking about. Yes he does put up with my crazies, bless him!

Anyway back to the ride. As I rode along this beautiful road, I was totally consumed by what I was experiencing at the time. As I reflect back now, I realize how blessed I was to have that time and how blessed I am every time I get to ride. This world is in the midst of some serious changes and it makes me sad to think of the world my grand daughter will grow up in versus the world I grew up in. I rarely listen to the news and refuse to discuss politics. All the media wants to focus on is the negative. It’s not wonder there is so much hate in the world. I am determined that I will focus on the positives as much as I possible can even in the worst of circumstances. There is always someone who is going through something worse than us. I have a friend whose granddaughter, who is only 1, was diagnosed today with an infection in her lung and had a biopsy. I know that God has this all figured out already, but it must be scary still for her family. I have another friend whose husband had an MRI today for a possible brain tumor and they await results on that. Again, God is already there. When I reached out to both of these families today and said, “God’s got this!”, both responded the exact same way, “Yes He does!”. I have another friend who is really struggling at work and is feeling overwhelmed, again I reached out and reminded her too, God is there, just breathe.

Then we have all of the flooding, loss of life, and devastation going on in Texas. God is there too. I have seen videos of good people helping others out in their time of need through this storm like they do through every disaster. My question is why do so many people only help during disasters. Don’t get me wrong I think it is AWESOME when people come together to help, I only wish it was a common occurrence in every day situations as well.

I met with a woman today, and in the midst of our conversation today and another day she shared a story abut a young fella that needed help. His mental abilities were very good, but he just needed a bit of help. She had tried to reach out to agencies to get him help, but to no avail. When she first told me about him, I had asked around to see if anyone knew anyone that would help someone in this type of situation. He was one of those cases that was falling through the cracks. He finally had enough and knew how he could get help. It took him telling someone that he would hurt himself if he didn’t get help, in order for him to be helped. He is now right where he needs to be and happy. This type of system needs to change. It’s sad he had to do that to get help, but I’m thankful it worked.

The point of all of this is; life is all about changes. Changes within us that can happen when we see other’s situations around us. Whenever I am having a difficult moment, or even a difficult day, I try to think of at least 1 positive that makes it seem not quite as bad. Do I always succeed? No, I do not, but I try. I refuse to give up. I may hand things over to God and not try to handle them myself any more, but that is not giving up in my book. That is being smart enough to know it is more than what I alone can handle.  If I don’t turn it over to God I may do more harm than good. I still keep listening to see if there is something He tells me I need to do or say, but once I give it to Him, I do not take it back. That too is a change for me and it was a hard one. I like to “fix” things for others and when I can’t I would give them to God, then when I thought He wasn’t handling it, I would take it back. Let me just tell you, it never worked out when I did that and His way is always better than mine. What a relief it’s been to get to that point. I know in my heart there is no situation that is beyond God and for that I am forever grateful. I have seen so many life changing situations and miracles that could only be God.

I am also thankful again to my husband for encouraging me, supporting me, and teaching me to ride which has led me to see and learn so many new things about God, my surroundings, and myself.

As the lyrics to a song say;

“God will make a way when there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me. He will be my guide, walking close beside my side. With love and strength for each new day. He will make a way for me.”

Ephesians 2:4-10 New King James Version 

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

This past week-end led to a lot of riding time thankfully. It was definitely some much needed mental time. There have been many times that I wanted to go for a ride in the past several months to try to clear my thoughts when I couldn’t go. Sometimes it was a scheduling thing, other days it was due to rain and sometimes it was just due to darkness. I know a lot of people ride after dark, but I have a hubby who is protective and does not want me riding alone after dark. For that I am thankful. We live in the country where there are no street lights and lots of deer, raccoons, possum etc. and it can be hazardous to a biker.

The long ride I took on Saturday was absolutely a very relaxing and calming ride. This particular ride was beautiful in every way. The weather was warm but not as scorching hot as it has been. There was a breeze blowing but it was not stifling hot and in some areas was truly refreshing. The road I traveled was one that I first went on with my hubby a few weeks back and we had gotten caught in a couple of rain showers. Then the next time I took it was when I decided to go straight into town rather than turning off where we had, and I ended up in that awful construction with the road that was all grooves and was NOT fun.

Saturday I took the safe route because I don’t know if the road construction is completed yet or not. There were many areas of shade, and of course sun, all along the route. The breezes, as I mentioned, were very refreshing and the air smelled crisp and clean. This is a country ride on back roads mostly so there were plenty of flowers and pretty things to see and fortunately no critters deciding to run across the road or anything.  It was for once just an easy going ride with no weather surprises or crazy drivers, which is a miracle in itself these days. I got to thinking on this ride as well as the other rides over the week-end about the roads. There were smooth roads, bumpy roads, curves and hills. There were also plenty of “tar snakes”, potholes, manhole covers, and patchwork areas to keep me on my toes and focused on what I was doing.

As I got thinking more about all of these types of road issues I realized they all represent things that happen in our lives as well. We can be cruising along smoothly in our lives, then all of as sudden there’s an unexpected hill to climb or a bump in the road. We are faced with a challenge we didn’t see coming and are forced to deal with it head on in order to get over the hill and head down the other side to smooth sailing again. There are also those times when we think we are going one way, but then we are faced with a curve and we have to go around it in order to get back on track. Then there are those “tar snakes”. For anyone who doesn’t know what I am referring to, it’s those areas on the road where they have added tar as a crack filler. Some roads seem to have more snakes than solid road. I was trying to figure out what they compare to and then it hit me. They are like the lies and half truths that we are told that wiggle their way into our minds and cause us to doubt or question things. Satan is so good at trying to deceive us into having feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and self doubt. There are so many people we come into contact with that will fill the role of the tar snakes if we allow them to. We must strive to not allow those seeds of doubt to take root, but it is so hard sometimes to weed them out. Then there is the patchwork. These are the areas in our lives where we feel the need to mend things. We don’t totally have to redo anything, just patch things up in our relationships or some little things we just need to “fix”.

There are the pothole and manhole covers we have to avoid along the way as well.  These are more simply just small interruptions to what we are doing that we have to quickly deal with and move on. There was a situation Sunday that required a quick decision. I saw someone with a broken down bike on the side of the road. I know riders are supposed to be there for other riders, but I also know as a female riding alone, my protective hubby would not recommend me helping out in this situation. There was plenty of other motorists who could stop to help or he could flag down if he needed them and I did not stop. I instead say a prayer that he would get the help he needed. Such it is with other situations we find ourselves in, we have to decide if it’s a situation we can, or should, assist with or not. I always ask myself what my hubby would say if I asked him, and what would Jesus say. In this day and time, safety must be our first and foremost thought in these types of situations sadly. We no longer live in a society where we can trust others like when I was growing up and everyone helped anyone in need, no second thoughts about it. As a woman riding alone, my thoughts are very different in many ways compared to how I was in my younger years. The world has changed and that makes me sad for my grandchildren. They will never know the carefree days of being able to be out from dawn to dusk with no phones and no worries about safety, just simply to be home before dark.

The last road hazard I encountered was on my last ride of the week-end on Sunday. Just after leaving my home, there was someone mowing a neighbor’s yard. You guessed it, he was blowing all of the very thick clumps of grass all over the road. The entire lane I was in was covered for approximately 20 yards I would say. The vehicle used to haul the mower was parked on the opposite side of the road further hindering traffic. I  came to a complete stop, there was no safe way for me to travel over that much grass. While the fella mowing was looking at me stopped in the road, I pointed at the mess he was making in the road and told him it was illegal. I’m sure he didn’t hear me over the mower and probably didn’t care, but I spoke up anyway. After the oncoming car went through I went over into the opposite lane to safely pass by. The grass experience also was like life. Sometimes the road we are on in life becomes dangerous and makes us come to a stop and reassess things. After looking at our options, we then press on. Sometimes we choose wisely, and sometimes we don’t, but its all part of the process of living.

As I returned home, I was thinking how peaceful and uneventful my riding experiences had been the whole week-end. Then just as I went to park my bike and get off to unlock my building I got the shock I never expected. Somehow something had gotten inside my vest and it stung me. I have a strong tolerance for pain but this felt like someone had stuck a very sharp knife in me right at a rib and then jerked it back out. I instinctively reached to the spot and squished whatever it was but was never able to see it. Immediately it started to swell and turn red and felt like it was literally on fire and burning. I have never felt anything like it. I told my husband childbirth wasn’t as painful as that was. Once again, it’s just typical every day life; expect the unexpected and never get too comfortable because it can all change in an instant.

I am thankful that I have a God who loves me and takes care of me and a family that also loves me. I am thankful that I now have these journeys on my bike to help me to see more clearly. I am thankful for my husband who taught me to ride and has instilled that “protective” factor within me to be able to hold onto when I ride. I know there have been situations I would have handled differently without that in the back of my mind. Between the prayers I say every time before I leave my driveway on the bike and those still small voices in my head, I have such a peace when I ride that I cannot explain. I have respect for the bike, but there is no fear because I know who I belong to and that he watches over me.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (KJV)
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.