Saturday, March 26, 2011


I am a roadie...no I don't haul amps and lights for Jackson Browne ...I ride a bicycle...a road bike...skinny tires , drop bars , stretchy pants the whole deal. I tell my mountain bike stump jumping friends: " If God intended men to ride on dirt trails why did he create all these miles of paved roads?" They usually have no good answers for such logic, of course most of them are concussed anyway , so air tight logic like that is not something they are often up for.
But I got an idea during a discussion, at my mid-week small group, about life as a follower of Christ and as a man in general, from one of my cycling pet peeves...headwinds!
I bike about 2300 - 2500 km a season. I ride in cold weather ( not too cold) in hot weather , in traffic , on country roads. On flats and hills, some big hills. I've never tried the famous Ontario Hilly Hundred , but I've come a long way. I used to hate big hills but I have gotten used to them. Once I get my fat carcass up a big hill I've learned that within a few minutes I've adjusted , and it's forgotten. As long as my wife didn't get to the top too far ahead of me, my ego is still fairly intact.

But I hate headwinds!

I watch the flags at the local elementary school when I head out. We always head north out of Brooklin; so when that flag is blowing straight south I know that the route is not only going to be uphill but against the wind. I realized that my definition of a good bike ride has come to be determined by wind direction. Flag pointing south = lousy ride, flag heading north= great ride. I realized my attitude goes south with that flag.
I have also realized that on a day with no wind, I ride for hours and have a great time. On the other hand, 30 minutes into a stiff headwind and I just want to go back home. It boils down to this: I have come to believe that an enjoyable bike ride is one that happens at the speed I am used to, with the effort that I want to put into it. That preconceived idea unfortunately doesn't stand up to headwinds! I could (theoretically) go for a long ride, into the wind and just travel slower than I think I am supposed to. It would be slower than what I think I should be going, for a ride to qualify as a "good ride". What I am trying to tell myself now is that it's just a good bike ride with a headwind!
Ultimately I asked myself, what has changed, on a head-windy day? I'm outside, on my bike, enjoying the outdoors getting some exercise but this one thing that is out of my control ( the wind) has me believing something is seriously wrong!
You see the guys in my men's group are learning together that things like: conflict/obstacles /blocked goals, in life/family/work/ministry, all create strong feelings. What we are feeling at those times is actually just life! Trials and difficulties, like headwinds happen, while you are living a life!
Here's the jump from the rims to the real life with Christ...my problem with head winds is my distorted idea that a headwind is some kind of thing that makes a good bike ride impossible ... when really it is just bike riding...with a head wind. I am tempted in the spiritual life in Christ to cherish comfort and "progress" ( my definition/ expectation of it). So when I feel "at peace" and things are "going well" I think to myself " now this is living". When difficulties disappointments trials pain suffering come my way, I can forget that what is happening most of the time is life. If I really wanted to become a strong cyclist, headwinds would be an opportunity to achieve that. James says :

James 1:2-4
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Maybe this summer if you see me riding into a headwind and you ask me what I am doing? I will say " Going for a bike ride" (between breaths) or if you see me in a trial of some type and ask me what I am doing perhaps I will say "living, and growing stronger while I am doing it".
Don't let yourself believe that trials mean you are not really living.


Friday, March 25, 2011

OK now that we have re-done our Church web site I am resurrecting this Blog. I don't plan to become the next great famous blogger but I do hope to use this to post some thoughts that don't make it into sermons, things I have read lately that have moved me and that type of thing. Maybe when you hear me preach and ask yourself " What on earth is he thinking" perhaps this will be a place where you could get some answers!