Ramblings of a Christian Grandma Biker

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.

 

 

Well it’s been a while since I have written; not because I haven’t been riding, but simply because I didn’t feel led to share anything. Have you ever played the “what if” game in your mind? I have done so more often than I care to recall. What if I had more time to do what I wanted, what if I had more money, what if……

We can ask those questions all day long and not really get anywhere. The truth is we make time for what we choose to make time for and we often find a way to buy the things that are most important to us at the time. That doesn’t mean we always do what we want, or get what we want.  If we stop and look at what we did, or what we bought,  it tells us a lot about our mind set at the time. Many times, given the opportunity later, we probably would choose differently.

I have discovered since learning to ride my own bike, that I find time to ride most every day that I can and that it has led me to a much better mind set in the long run because of what riding does for me. It gives me alone time. It gives me time to evaluate things that are going on with me and with those I love. It allows me to work through things in my mind without anyone else talking to me, texting me, or having input in any way in my thoughts and feelings at that time. Riding has allowed me to have time talking with God and really being able to listen to what He may be trying to tell me. Does this mean I always listen and always understand it all immediately? No it doesn’t, I am still human. These writings are a result of those conversations though. This is definitely something I never thought I would do. I have found in the past several years, that I do many things that I said, or at least thought, I would never do. I have learned to never say never, because there’s a pretty good chance if I say I will “never” do something, He may show me that I was wrong and I will do that very thing, in His time. I swore I would never ride my own bike, yet here I am.

What if we do not follow what we feel He wants us to do? If I hadn’t followed His lead and started riding or writing, you wouldn’t be reading this right now. That means you would be doing something else with this time, what would that be? We don’t know, but we can assume this is where we’re meant to be right now for whatever reason. I was recently told, “Sometimes I think you know me too well.” If we stop and think about that, there may be things about us that we don’t want others to know for whatever reason. The fact remains, however, that God knows everything there is to know about us. He knows what he have done and thought and what we will do and think  in the future. Nothing is hidden from Him.

 

 

As I mentioned previously, I don’t always know what, or if, I will write after I ride. I’ve had several rides lately that have not led to me writing at all. They were still very much needed rides and were very good therapy, just nothing I felt I was being led to share with others. Today I initially had no real specific thoughts going through my mind again as I started to ride, I was simply trying to free my mind from the million different thoughts going through it. All of a sudden I was being bombarded with thoughts from several different directions. As I now write, I don’t know exactly where it all will lead so I guess we will find out together.

As I meet other motorcyclists on the road, I of course do “the wave” and feel that camaraderie between bikers, even though I have no idea who they are. All I know is we share a similar interest for the feeling of freedom we get from the ride. I often do notice, however, whether they are wearing riding gear or not. Some riders are ATGATT riders, others are not. For those of you who don’t ride, are new to riding, or have just plain never heard of ATGATT, it stands for All The Gear All The Time. I’ll be honest, I am not that rider. I do always wear my helmet, gloves, vest, long pants and boots, but I do not wear arm protection when it’s hot out. I have started wearing a wicking shirt that has long sleeves, but not a jacket with protective sleeves.

I have seen riders in flip flops, sneakers, shorts, tank tops, no shirts, no gloves and pretty much any combination you can imagine. Being it’s the law in NC, they do all have on some type of helmet, ranging from the basic skull cap all the way up to the full face helmet with shield. Some bikes have windshields, some do not. As I got thinking about this today, I was reminded how as Christians we are told to protect ourselves by putting on the whole armor of God.

Ephesians 6:13-18

 

Belt of truth- we need to always be truthful with ourselves and with others. Satan will use lies to attack us. This is pretty much self explanatory to all of human kind.

Breastplate of righteousness-this was to protect the soldier’s vital organs from blows in the battle. A proper vest/ jacket will do the same when you are riding. It will help protect you in the event you experience an unfortunate incident that causes you to wreck.

Feet fitted with readiness-The soldiers then wore specially designed foot wear that had spikes that provided them with a steady stance on rough ground and helped with their balance. A rider who wears a good boot with tread on it, has better traction when stopping, and a slight heel can also help some riders to be flat footed which helps with their balance when stopped as well.

Shield of Faith-The soldiers had a physical shield they could use to defend themselves against weapons the enemy might try to hurt them with. On a bike this could be a windshield to deflect things that may fly at you, but it is also simply our faith as believers that He will protect us. That faith comes from hearing the word of God and believing and knowing He will fight with us.

Helmet of Salvation- Soldiers wore helmets to protect them from all directions, as do those who wear them when on a motorcycle. The head and mind need to both be protected. Our minds are the greatest battlefield. This is where our toughest battles come from and where the enemy attacks us the hardest, in our minds and thoughts. The Word of God is a powerful and awesome weapon that we need to arm ourselves with so we can quote it.

Sword of the Spirit-Last but definitely not least is the sword of the spirit. This the word of God. Even Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness and quoted his father’s words to make Satan flee. I have rebuked Satan out loud on my bike on more than 1 occasion and I’m sure if anyone heard me they thought I had lost my mind! In reality I had protected it 🙂 His word is so powerful, even the devil himself must flee when you quote scripture in accordance with His word. I never leave my driveway until I have said a prayer for a safe ride, with the protection only He can give.

I have other thoughts from today’s ride, but I feel this is where I am supposed to stop for now so maybe those ramblings will show up on another day. I hope you have an awesome rest of your day and thank you for “listening.”

James 4:7

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not all of my rides end up stirring up specific memories and not all rides lead me to writing. Often when I’m riding along and thinking, if thoughts come to mind that I feel lead to write about, even once I start writing, the words that follow are often different than what I thought they would be. Other times I think I will write when I return and then I no longer felt lead to once I get home. It is obvious to me that this is totally a “God thing.” There is no way this is all coming from within me. With that said, the past couple of rides have not been memory invoking rides. They have been more of the “clear your mind” and refocus kind of rides.

Sometimes I have to just be still and listen to that still small voice. It’s in those times that I find healing taking place as well as planning or redirection. It was actually an annoying even that triggered it all this time. As I was happily cruising through town with no destination in mind it happened. (For the record I RARELY have a destination in mind when I ride, but that’s beside the point.) The car in front of me decided all of a sudden to hit the brakes. To me there was no logical reason for this. There was no debris in the road and nothing had darted out in front of them. The reason I hit the brakes was obvious, so I wouldn’t rear end them. I soon learned they were going to the convenience store/gas station to the right of the road we were on. They used no blinkers or hand signals, just brakes then they eventually turned.

As I started reflecting on that event, I realized life is the same way. We can be cruising along thinking everything is going well and then out of nowhere,  BAM. All of a sudden everything changes. It may be me that puts on the brakes, or another person. It may be a health condition, finances, or any other number of things. Now we are faced with a new set of circumstances that were unexpected. This can cause all kinds of new emotions depending on what the situation is. How you react depends on whether you have a positive or negative outlook, your past, your present, and a number of other factors. It also depends on your beliefs. I try hard to never think of a glass as half full or half empty, but as refillable. Every day we can choose to see the good or the bad in every situation. There are always people who are very upbeat and focus on only the good things, as well as those that seem to dwell on only the bad things. When you have been sick for more than a day, or dealing with a stressful situation, do you focus on how bad things have been, or on the fact that they were bad but today is better? The world we live in, especially if you listen to the media, tends to lean to all of the bad or negative. There is a local reporter that reports on the “good news.” She is truly a blessing to watch. If you want to check her out, it’s Kristen Hampton of WBTV news. She recently did a very funny story and someone commented negatively that they would “rather watch paint dry.” What was her reaction? She did a video where she painted a board and showed different clips as it dried and said there you go! We should all react so positively, rather than letting those naysayers get us down.

Life can be very challenging believe me I know. We can allow those sudden brakes ahead of us to get us down, or we can see them as things that slowed us down for a reason. Maybe if I hadn’t had to slow down for that turning car unexpectedly, something else worse was coming. We all have our own storms to weather. Personally, I cannot imagine having to weather them without my Lord and Savior to lead me through. We may not ever understand why we are going through certain things or why the outcomes are not always what we expected and prayed for. There have been may times I did not get what I prayed for and I am thankful that He knew better than to answer my prayers my way. His way always turned out better. I know there are many who believe simply in coincidences or karma or whatever. I don’t believe in those things and I put all my faith in God to get me through every day. As you know if you’ve read any of my other posts, I sometimes talk to him non-stop, like when I was riding home recently in the awful storm and when I was on the road under construction. I’m not strong enough to get through battles and storms on my own and I am very thankful for His mercy and grace to see me through.

I know brakes and road blocks and other “annoyances” and interruptions will occur. I pray I will continue to just give them all to God. I have seen in my personal life how much easier it makes it to get through every situation when I give it to Him and I leave it there. For years I would give it to Him, then take it back. Taking it back only resulted in more heart ache, negativity, and worry. Giving it to Him and leaving it with Him, leaves a feeling of peace and rest for my weary soul. I need to treat my decisions like the ones I make on my bike, there is no reverse. I can go ahead or I have to turn around. Turning around is often the same as going backwards. I will strive to only go forward, will hopefully always give it all to Him, and I will continue to give Him all of the glory.