Biking Blessings

Those of you who know me, understand that I am not your typical mountain woman. I prefer to sit on my veranda drinking iced tea and reading, but I am trying to get out and enjoy the beauty and nature of the outdoors more often. Several friends encourage me, push me, teach me and most of all are patient with me when I do venture out into the sporting world. So when my friend Deb asked if I wanted to ride bikes to Vail, I cringed inside thinking I could never do that; she doesn’t know my skill level, after all, I am a flatlander, but I consented to try it.

We got off to an early start to beat the heat of the afternoon and enjoyed the cool crisp morning air and the magnificent views of the green mountains and the raging river. As we rode, I thought of all the blessings I would have missed if I had chosen to say no—the views, the workout, the wind in my face, the fellowship with a friend. But the funniest thing I would have missed is seeing my friend, Christy’s face when we ran into her out for her morning walk. Now she was not at all surprised to see Deb out riding, but when she saw that I was also riding, she could have fallen over in shock.

I am quite proud of the fact that I did indeed make it all the way to Vail with no accidents, no quitting and no whining along the way. My reward was a picnic lunch provided by Deb, which we enjoyed sitting right along the creek where we could watch the other bikers ride by, the walkers strolling along the path and the rafters paddling downstream. What a morning!

After the 14 mile ride, I feel like I can do anything, so maybe tomorrow I will go and hike a “fourteener” …. or maybe I will sit on the veranda and have a glass of iced tea.

Psalm 116:12 How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?

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