Day 72 - 1 Last Week

Well, on the map I am only about 110 miles from the Georgia/ Atlantic Ocean shoreline. But this is definitely a terrible time to be coming through Georgia with the tropical storm coming on shore and the heavy rains. Where we are at on the map today was suppose to get 1 to 2 inches of rain through the late morning and afternoon. That is the one type of weather that makes riding no fun. Then if you add to that the strong winds coming into your face, that ride would be no fun. I have done it a number of times but it does not make for a fun ride. Today I rode 41.8 miles in 2 hours and 2 minutes for an average of 20.5 mph. By Thursday I should be dipping my foot into the Atlantic Ocean water, Lord willing. I am looking forward to that. It has been an amazing experience though to do what we did riding across our land. I told you that with this week coming I was going to share some of the things I have learned on this journey. Well, I would ask you to think about what we call, "getting back on the horse." I remember a time when I was out cutting firewood and accidentally ran a chainsaw across my knee. I really did a job on that knee. While it could have been so much worse, the first thing I did when the knee healed was go out and cut firewood. Another time I crashed my bike. I was going down a wet road and a car came left of center and I either had to purposely put my bike down or run into the front of that car. Two days later and a number of repairs to the bike and a couple on me I climbed back on that bike and rode. I had too. There were a number of mornings I really did not want to get on my bike. I was tired, or sore, or just plain did not want to take the time to go the two plus hours I knew it was going to take. But I had to do it. I had too. There was no way I was not going to keep going. There have been times when in the past I would quit or allow something that happened to keep me from getting back on and keep going. So many do that in their Christian lives. Something happens and they just quit and don't keep going. Paul said to Timothy just a short time before he was martyred, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Not everyone can make that statement. So many either give up or just quit. Sure, maybe you have been hurt, or even knocked down. It is at that moment that a choice has to be made. You will either get back up or you will give up. We all have to make a choice at that time. Imagine if Paul would have lived his life in another way, "I quit fighting, I gave up half way through the race, I don't even believe any more." Being a Christian is a life of being firm, steadfast; even immovable, and as it says in 1Corinthians, "always abounding in the work of the Lord." I CHOOSE JESUS. I will fight the good fight. I will finish the race. I will keep the faith. Lord willing!!!!!!!!! Talk to you tomorrow.