Jesus and Gravity

You know when people make that cliche' comment about muscles they didn't know they had being sore? I tried to find a better way to say that this weekend, but nada. Seriously, I think if you'd asked me yesterday I could have pointed specifically to every single one of the 640 muscles I have and said, "it hurts there." Although pointing might have been difficult considering half of those muscles had relegated themselves to a self-imposed time-out.

Why I initially thought it would be a good idea to bike with my dad's youth group (the lovely Fairfield Baptist of Centerville, TN. HOLLA!) across the state of Tennessee I'm not really sure. These things always sound awesome when they are not immediately imminent. I started out on track with my training. Found some new trails and bike paths in the Burg. All was well. Then I succeeded in busting up two bikes in rapid succession and finding myself in and out of sickness for three weeks. So much for training.

Honestly, I went this weekend thinking I might do one rotation and then just hang out, Tweet, and take a few pics. Unbeknownst to me, I got scheduled for three 15 mile rotations. I am SO out of shape, but when they call your name as "on deck," wimping out loses all appeal. I am not going to be the one who quits. And I'm wearing my padded bike shorts, so, game on.

There have been many times that I've pushed myself to a physical limit, that's not really anything impressive. But this time, there was something remarkably different about the experience. This wasn't about me or anyone else on the team. We were all riding for something bigger than us. There are people in Hickman County Tennessee who desperately need the love of Jesus, and this little group of teenagers had found a way to create a place where they could help create those conversations. Passion is contagious. And when you can sense the power of God through prayer fueling you, it's like being unstoppable. The road was rising up to meet us, and we were eating it up.

By the time I reached my final 15 mile rotation I was working on about 2 hours of sleep after 36 hours on the road and had 30 miles under my pedals (not really that awesome when you consider those guys who went up the Cumberland Plateau or logged over 100 miles). Thank the Lord He made West Tennessee more flat than the East. Every little hill was like torture. A couple times I literally thought that if I went any slower I'd probably fall right over.

10 miles through that third ride (shortly after I decided to liven things up with my wreck), when every muscle was screaming that there was nothing left to give, I had an epiphany. This is what it's like to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and STRENGTH. You can do things in life out of selfish motives, or because of the everlasting love of God that has captivated and consumed you.

Paul says "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." (2 Cor. 9)

Loving God with all our strength doesn't necessarily mean something extreme. It does mean that we lay whatever we can accomplish physically at His feet. We are unafraid to sacrifice our mortal bodies, even unto death, because we know there's something bigger than this life. And let me tell you, it's amazing how when you love God with your strength, your heart, soul and mind start to align (and that works in any order!).

That became totally sealed in my my mind when at the end of the 15 miles I spotted the rest of the team cheering us to the finish from the top of a massive hill. My knee was bleeding and throbbing from my wreck and my body said I didn't have that last hill in me, but my heart said, "Almost home. None of that matters. Now I can see the end. Just finish. It's worth it." And it was.

I leave you with this...
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Cor. 4)