Day 73 - two days to the Atlantic

Boy, did I feel good today. I rode 46.3 miles in 2 hours and 5 1/2 minutes for an average of 22 mph. Because of the tropical storm going by, on the map I had to ride in another rainy day. But in my basement it was smooth pedaling. Tomorrow I will go over 2400 miles for the trip. Which has a lot to do with one of the things I have learned through this trip. I originally planned this trip to be 2200 miles and it would have been if I would have been sitting on the back of an eagle or crow. You know, "as the crow flies." But roads do not go in straight lines. Several times on the map I had to go well out of my way to keep going east. And roads are not straight. They go every which way. Ya know what. The path the Lord might take you down is rarely straight. And who, but Him knows where He might take you. In Luke 15, He is telling a parable about what has been called the ninety and nine. What does the shepherd do? He looks for the lost sheep until he finds it. When he does it says that he picks the sheep up and lays it on his shoulders and carries it home. It never tells us where he may take the sheep; what route he may take. The only thing we know is that the shepherd is going to be carried home. And like dumb sheep we get tired or uncomfortable riding on those shoulders. We should be satisfied with the ride but maybe it is the green grass that we want to be put down in order to eat the greener grass over there or don't like the direction the shepherd is taking us. That is when we are really demonstrating how dumb sheep really are. See, it takes faith in the shepherd. We are told to trust in Him but also to trust Him. Even when we don't like the way he is carrying us. Yes we need to learn to trust. His way is always what is best for us even when it does not seem so at the time. And yes it might turn a 2200 mile trip into over 2400 miles. I have learned though that it is worth it. Talk to you tomorrow.