Countdown to Triathlon - 272 Days, 38.85 weeks to Race Day (See Installment 10 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.  ~Epictetus



As we rush around this week preparing for Thanksgiving with our families, let us remember to whom the Pilgrims prayed their thanks.  It was to The Lord God Almighty, not to the Indians as some elementary school books are now reporting.  They thanked the Indians, I am sure,  because the Indians had taught them how to fish, and plant corn and brought 5 deer and other food stuffs to the feast.  However, since only half the pilgrims survived the previous winter, they gave thanks that they were still alive and that they had food to eat. 


The Journey - Installment Thirteen

GOD MIRACULOUSLY FINDS WHAT I LOST

            About a week later, Don and I were again riding the canal banks.  At the beginning of the ride one day we came upon piles of dirt, which had been dumped, on “our canal bank”.  We were just barely able to just ride between the canal and the dirt piles without falling but did successfully complete our ride that day.   The next day however, when we came to that same spot on the canal bank.  With me in the lead, I had to screech to a halt and jump off the bike because more dirt had been dumped and there was no room to ride.  We dismounted the bicycles and had to push them down the embankment, about four feet, into the orchard which was quite muddy.  I was concentrating so hard on getting the bike down and trying not to step in deep mud that I didn’t hear Don yell, “Watch the branch”. Either he was late in warning me or I was slow on the uptake.   I was very happy to have on my helmet because I really bashed my head into some low-hanging branches.  When we got about half way to Hickman Road, Don asked me how fast we were traveling.  I looked and my speedometer/odometer was gone.  I was just sick about it because I really needed it for my training.   I asked the Lord to find it for me. We had to ride to Hickman Road and back to the spot where we first noticed it missing before we began to look for it.   On the way back we rode side by side so that we each could look for it on our own side of the road. The canal bank is so rough and has so many rocks and distractions that I knew it would be difficult to see it.  At one point I said out loud, “Lord, I thank you for what you are going to do in helping us find it.  I cannot afford a new one right now and I really need it to ride. Thank you in advance.”  As we continued to ride, I have to admit that inwardly I was losing faith in finding it, the closer we came to my home.   But I continued to thank the Lord that He was going to find it for us and commented to Don that perhaps I had knocked it from its holder while I was getting on the bike in the driveway at our house.