This week I’ve been going over a few things I’ve learned while on my bike. It’s not that I’m an expert by any stretch. In fact, just the opposite. Even though I’ve had a good bike for a couple of years, Lainey and I have just really begun to ride. Maybe that’s why these lessons seem so real for me…because I’m still a rank beginner.
The first lesson was that in order to succeed you have to pick your line and commit. Don’t hesitate, don’t look back. Go. Remember Lot’s wife. For more on this you can go here.
The next lesson, yesterday’s post was you’ve got to keep your eyes focused out in front of you not down on your front tire. When your focus is out in front you have time to make course adjustments, stuff has less chance of surprising you. For more on that lesson you can go here.
Now for Number 3.
3. There will be rocks in the path. Count on it. Your skill as a rider isn’t in choosing paths without rocks (HINT: there aren’t any paths without rocks). Your skill is in successfully navigating the trail even when it’s full of rocks. All the trails, all the lines will be full of obstacles, distractions, obstructions, and even dead ends. Ultimately, when you think about it, life is all about, not so much, avoiding these things but handling them when they do come along.
But in order to succeed you’ve got to shift your weight, change your center of gravity, or adjust your posture. If you never changed your stance, the trail and it’s twists and turns would pitch you off the bike in short order. In my vast experience on the bike (ha!) I’ve found that when the trail goes up you should lean in to the effort. When the trail heads down, get your weight back as far as you can. Balance is critical.
Jesus said that in this world we will encounter trials and troubles. So it’s not about if trouble comes but when trouble comes. What will you do? Will you adjust your posture in order to stay balanced and ride it out? Or will you stubbornly hold fast, refuse to change, and find yourself pitched off the bike, laying in the dirt?
When troubles come, resist the temptation to freak out. Lean in. Press into His presence. Imagine someone leaning in to push a heavy object up the hill. That’s the word picture. Leaning in takes discipline and it takes focus but if you can do this you can ride out the difficulty.
Have you ever heard of the Big Mo? Without it you’ll be pushing that heavy object uphill the whole way…everything seems tougher. But with it everything becomes easier, almost like it’s happening with no effort at all. But we’ll talk about the Big Mo tomorrow.
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FULL DISCLOSURE: The trail pictured above isn’t a photo I took and is not a trail I’ve ridden.
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