Ride Across America, Part I: Sheffield, TX

So, my husband and I just passed through Sheffield, Texas.

Pecos River Bridge; Sheffield, TX (borrowed from Matthew Lee High on Flickr) Thanks, Matthew! click pic to see more of his pictures and the history he's uncovered about them

Not really.  Just pretend.  It was my husband’s idea.  We’re on an imaginary bike ride across America this summer.

This madness started back in March when we dipped our back tires into the Atlantic Ocean in Jacksonville Beach, FL.

Jacksonville Beach, FL. "Jax Beach" to the locals. Click pic for source

(again, just pretend.  It was really our local midwest park )

And now we’re in Texas, making our way to San Diego where we’ll dip our front tires into the Pacific!

It ain’t easy on some of our long rides. (100 miles in one day has been our longest)

My hands and wrists start to hurt from gripping the handle bars.  My seat hurts.  My legs start to scream.

But, the funny thing is, at my worst moments, pain/frustration/ discomfort-wise, is when I think my best thoughts.

C.S. Lewis said, “God’s speaks to us in our pleasures and shouts to us in our pain.”  or something like that.

I don’t know if God exactly shouts at me, but He definitely speaks to me when I’m SUF-FER-ING!

Take, for instance, the time I was in the tunnel.

The tunnel under the highway on our favorite bike trail

Before tiny lights were added on one of the sides, it could be pretty scary in the middle.

It would look like this for a bit:

scarey!

We couldn’t really see what was in front of us.

Now it’s a little better, but not much.

But, as we put one foot in front of the other and push forward, things lighten up:

almost there...

until, finally, we reach the light again

on the other side.

In the dark, when I was a little scared, Jesus spoke to me about faith.

“Now faith is…the evidence of things not seen.” ~~ Hebrews 11:1

He reminded me how sometimes, when all I can see is the dark, I think there’s no point in going on.  Nothing will ever be nice again.  Despair.

But, over and over, the Bible assures me, that if I push ahead, things will brighten up.

Ever notice how many good things follow that word “push”?

door knob

doors open to fun and exciting places like malls, hotels, restaurants.

Babies are born.

Push in some quarters, and out comes a soda, or a candy bar.

A favorite summer treat is a push-up:

And when we push ourselves to take the next step of faith, and the next, and the next,

light will come!

So, PUSH!

Push yourself to read your Bible every day.

To pray.

To enjoy a favorite hobby. (God gave us those as nurturing gifts for our souls)

Serve someone.

Pray for someone.

Fast sometimes.

Memorize and meditate on a favorite verse.

Hang around the Christians sometimes. (They help us push on and comfort us in the dark  )

There’s lots of links to the right that will help you push ahead toward the light, step by step.

P.S. Notice the Pecos Bridge sign above says 15 ft, 5 in.?  God inspired me to see if mayber there wasn’t a 15:5 verse somewhere in the Bible that might fit perfectly with this post.  I thought to look in Romans first, and sure enough:

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (oh, wait, that’s :4)

Here’s :5 — “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement…”

See?  that’s where the hope and encouragement comes from that gives us the faith to push ahead –God and the Scriptures!

In the dark?  Read the Bible!  That’s the bridge that’ll take you safely over the depths of despair, and into the light of day!