My husband Bob and I are still up here at Lake Tahoe. The weather is coming in as you can see. Normally we can see the mountains on the other side of the lake. I am trying to prepare myself mentally for the race in only 295 days. That's not much time considering how out of shape I am, but I know that the body and muscles are resilient and I can do it. We just got back from brunch at Harrah's Casino and we ate like pigs. Kind of my "last supper" as it were. Beginning Monday at 6:00 am life as I know it will change.
Below is installment two of "The Journey".
The Beginning
On the morning of January 29, 2001, I began working in my drapery workroom early that morning because I had a drapery job to complete. I entered the shop that morning at 6 AM and turned off the lights and closed the door for the day at 11 PM. Because I had been involved with so many activities surrounding the Christmas holidays, I had not listened to radio for several months. That particular day, I had the occasion to hear the Focus on the Family broadcast twice, once at 8:30 AM and again at 8:30 PM when it was re-broadcast. The program was about the Focus on the Family National Bike Ride for the Family, which began in January. There were to be 50 rides during the next 18 months, ending in June 2002 and culminating with a 25th Silver Anniversary Celebration in Colorado Springs in July of 2002. The broadcast featured people who had just completed the first California ride in Central California – Santa Maria to Santa Barbara (approx. 230 miles) in three days. Each of the 50 rides was to was to consist of no more than 50 riders.
My reaction to the Focus on the Family broadcast on this particular day is interesting in the light of the events which would soon follow. Hearing the Focus broadcasts each day as I had done for years, I found that there were some programs where the subject matter was of more interest to me or touched my heart more than others. On January 29th after hearing the morning broadcast, my reaction was, “That’s nice. I hope they are successful” Again in the evening the reaction was the same. I had absolutely no feeling that this ride could or would touch my life in any way nor did I have any particular interest in finding out more about it.
As I left the shop late that night and headed across the driveway to the house, I had an experience that I have never had before. I usually know when the Lord is telling me to do something. I don’t hear a voice, but I just know that He is speaking to my heart and most of the time He wants me to do things I would not want to do or even think of doing myself. However, this time I heard a voice, not with my ears, but in my head. The voice called my name in a tone that really got my attention. It was a very stern way in which my name was called. The voice said, “Barbara! If you don’t do this ride, this may be the last time in your lifetime that you will be able to get disciplined, lose weight and get healthy! I want you to do this ride.”
Needless to say, I was stunned. I remember thinking that this was crazy. Looking back on that night, I could almost picture myself saying, “Lord, I think you dialed the wrong number.” I hadn’t ridden a bike in probably 30 or 40 years and I didn’t even own a bicycle. After standing on the driveway, quite stunned to say the least, I turned and walked into the house and shut off all of the outside lights. Everyone was asleep, but I booted up the computer and went to the Focus on the Family website regarding the bike ride. As I read about the bike ride on the website, I began to fill in the application. It was a very strange sensation because I had no intention of filling out that application. Riding in a 200 mile bike ride was not even an option in my mind. I remember checking the box opposite the northern California ride, which would be held in June of 2002. As a part of the application, there were three boxes and the instructions indicated that the applicant was to check one of the following: “I ride 100 miles a week, or more;” the middle box read, “I ride 50 miles a week, or more;” and the top box read, “I ride less than 50 miles a week.” I remember thinking as I checked the top box that this was being very dishonest because I ride “zero” miles per week. The next thing that happened in this sequence of events was that my hand, without my permission, took hold of the computer mouse and clicked, “send.” I was horrified! I sat back in the chair with my arms crossed over my chest, my mouth open in horror. I said out loud, “Lord, if this is not from you, then please don’t let them accept my application.” I shut off the computer and went to bed for the night. I didn’t mention this incident to anyone the next day and I put it out of my mind until three weeks later when a letter came in the mail. (To be continued next blog)
