Life Lessons from Bike & Bible

Oil your chain.

A bike works best when maintained with care. While putting effort into maintenance doesn't guarantee you won't crash, it reduces your odds of a flat tire.

Relationships are a lot like that. It takes some work to make them run smoothly. This work is always worthwhile. I have never regretted spending extra time with a friend, but I often regret not doing so. Who wants a friendship with a flat tire of neglect? 

"But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son." (II John 1:9).

Slow down a bit.

There's a hot shower waiting back home. But my goal isn't to get there as quickly as possible. I'm riding because I enjoy it. Yes, the feeling of speed is wonderful – but so is the reward of picking a clean line.

Sometimes we get to choose how quickly life moves. We should balance the constant urge to move forward with a desire to do what is right. David wrote in II Samuel 22: 

"The Lord rewarded me for doing right; 
he restored me because of my innocence. 
For I have kept the ways of the Lord; 
I have not turned from my God to follow evil."

Better to do the right thing slowly rather than anything else quickly.

Don't hang on so tight.

The best way to get through a rough, steep spot is to let off the brakes, loosen your grip on the handlebars, and let the bike bounce around beneath you. A slippery root will always grab your back wheels and sling it sideways. But this isn't so bad unless you were expecting to go straight.

"'I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord" (Jer. 29:11). He knows his plans, and I don't. I should be ready to accept the occasional redirection from my anticipated path.

Mid-twenties

[A blog post in which I indulge in some good, old-fashioned, first-person sharing.]

Elk Mountain on a spontaneous morning hike. The mountains brought solace to me in a hard time over the past summer. I continue to find peace there.
My trusty chariot (actually, it hasn't been that reliable). It's a favourite possession of mine, having played a role in many an adventure and the development of my mechanical skills - and friendships. To many thousand more kilometres!
 Casual street hockey in the Sears parking lot is a great way to bring friends together on a chilly weekend evening. 
Sunset from the street in front of my humble, yet comfortable, basement suite. I have a good roommate now, which has been quite a blessing this winter.
 Here's a recent project from work. I designed the graphics (which are nothing to write home about) and did most of the coordination of production and installation.  Getting the LED screen to communicate with the computer on site was an ordeal, and when it finally worked I couldn't resist programming this message on the new sign.
Running, mountain biking, longboarding, and now skiing: I can't seem to stay away from activities that move faster than the regular pace of life. It's not that life doesn't move fast enough for me - quite the opposite. But for all its speed and fury, to fall in graceful arcs down the side of a mountain is an experience that beautifully counterbalances the pain of existing in a broken world. Wind, speed, and balance distill into something fleeting yet all the more precious for its brevity. Praise God for these good gifts.

chasing butterflies

I think trees are cool because all they do is grow toward the light.

shadow shoots ahead
then grows behind
again, ad nauseum,
thorn in the side.

width of empty sidewalk blurs.
or the garbage on thursday,
or a nameless neighbour - nod -
man with dog.

street lights on a dark road.

scuffing shoes,
just one pair
running, hiding.
daylight-waiting.

followers