My old roommate and I took a bike ride in Peninsula last week. For the uninformed Peninsula is about 20 minutes south of Cleveland. I had never visited there prior to and it was cool to do a little road trip in the middle of the week. We intended on renting bikes and catching the train back but the next stop for the train proved to be further than anticipated and we didn’t make it in time. Instead of cutting our ride short we opted to go the distance and ended up biking over 10 miles! Not too shabby for a couple of folks who hadn’t biked in years! 😊😏 As soon as my feet hit the pedals the serenity of nature engulfed me and I was overwhelmed by God’s goodness. I know my friend felt the same and we peddled forward with grace and peace.
At one point we stopped for directions and were told that if we kept along the path the next train stop would be about 7 miles out. We kept that goal in mind but as I shared earlier, we didn’t make it. Still, I watched as we passed sign after sign, paying attention to the names of the paths. There were so many! It was clear to me that we needed to stay on our path in order to get to where we were going. It was also clear God was giving me a picture of this spiritual race.
There are so many paths in this life. There are so many arrows pointing this way and that way. Some look appealing and inviting but not all will get you to where you need to be.
In this instance we stuck with our path and we made it back safely. Sometimes sticking to the same path can get boring, especially when you are called to go the distance. It can feel like you are missing out. You can even get weary. But every time I get off the path I end up in pain. I end up functioning as a lesser version of myself and experiencing a shame I know my Father never desired for me.
One thing I’m grateful for is His grace to get back on the right path and to have a friend (or several) to ride it out with.
Thank You Lord for bringing me Lianna and so many who stick closer to me than a brother. Your grace is sufficient and I am not deserving.
SHALOM
