Tuesday, July 5, 2011

On a Bicycle Ride With God

I've procrastinated about this post for a few weeks. This is not a subject I would normally post about and was worried about how some would take it. It's a bit spiritual and a bit of "smell the roses" kinda thing. Some may think, hmm is Rodney smoking some of them Hawai`ian herbs or something? No I am not, but it is my blog and I can post what I want...right?

Often I go on my bicycle rides solo. It's nice to ride with a partner, but solo rides help me to reflect on things, sort of meditaion on a road bike. Lately it seems that God has been speaking to me on my rides. A few weeks ago I felt this strongly!

He said to enjoy the beautiful weather that He has created. Enjoy wind flowing around me, and not just the air rushing through the enormous vents on my expensive Specialized S-Works helmet. Look at all the natural beauty around me. After all I do live in a place some call a "paradise". I often wish we had a nice wide winding country side road with little traffic, but most of the route on my rides are on a bike path on a busy highway in East Honolulu named Kalaniana`ole Hwy. If you're on the mainland and can't pronounce it, no worries, it's Highway 72! Lot's of cars, no real scenery except an occasional bridge crossing a stream or two and a couple ocean views.

But there is enjoyable scenery around on my route, I just have to "look with my heart"!

This is one view I see in the Portlock area and always look at it in awe! There's something about heading toward Koko Crater that "plays" with my mind at times. I often ride around to the other side of that crater.



This is as close to that winding country road I wish for. But it's only for a short distance.



Nice palm tree lined road among the mansions on Kahala Avenue.



Well on this ride God really opened my eyes and heart to His beauty so I stopped and smelled the roses...well I unclipped from my pedals and took pictures.

The clouds that day!



The shoreline at one of the Diamond Head Lookouts.



Ok enough with the tourist stuff!

So what did God say to me that day? Sometimes when I hit rough spots on the road, I tighten my body up almost expecting to crash, but that's not a good thing on a bicycle. Just a few days prior, I watched a video interview with a pro cyclist racing in the Tour de Suisse. He talked about descending through a tunnel at 95kmh on rain slicked roads. What stood out to me was he said that you cannot tighten up, or you will crash. Not exact words and I can't find that video, but the point stood out! So I need to loosen up or let go.

Same thing in life, loosen up and let God do it!

Why am I writing this in my blog that is usually about pens, ink, paper and writing?

Well I should be writing these thoughts and experiences in my journals! But I've been too busy...sigh.

However when I opened up my journal, I found this entry written a few months ago...

Let go, let God!



So did God really speak to me on my ride?