Countdown to Triathlon – 199 Days, 28.42 weeks to Race Day (See Installment 51 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY -

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
Theodore Roosevelt

DID YOU SEE UP ABOVE - 199 DAYS TO THE TRIATHLON - THAT IS REALLY SCARY!  MORE SCARY THAN THE THOUGHT OF BEING CRUSHED BY THE CAR IN YESTERDAY'S POST.  IT WILL BE HERE BEFORE I KNOW IT AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT READY! 

HOWEVER, LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT AND POSITIVE SIDE, I STILL HAVE SIX MONTHS AND THREE WEEKS.  THAT CERTAINLY OUGHT TO BE ENOUGH TIME TO TRAIN, RIGHT????

The Journey - Installment Fifty-One

        With only a few days left of my visit, I wanted to ride at least 45 miles before I went home.  The night before my long ride I was complaining to Morena about having to do all of the training necessary to complete the ride in June.  She told me that God had chosen me and that I should be thankful to have been chosen.  My reply was that I was the most unlikely person to be chosen to do this ride.  She responded by asking me if I had read the book of Nehemiah lately.  Her question really brought to mind the story about Nehemiah who was a slave in Babylon.  He was the king’s cupbearer and as the one responsible for tasting the king’s wine to prove that no one had poisoned it  he was in constant communion and attendance with the king.  The king would not allow anyone to appear upset or downcast in his presence.  God told Nehemiah to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls and I can imagine Nehemiah thinking that he was a most unlikely person to obey that command from God.  After all, Nehemiah was a slave in a far away country and not free to leave.  He had no labor force or building materials with which to rebuild the walls. He did enter the kings's presence all downcast and depressed which normally would have been a death sentence.    Read Nehemiah Chapters One and Two to see just what wondrous things God did through him.  In my Quest Study Bible by Zondervan, I read later in the introduction:

“Why read this book?  If you’ve ever faced an overwhelming task or felt

  inadequate to meet a challenge, you’ll be able to identify with Nehemiah.

  He struggled with issues still with us today: motivation, fatigue and criticism.

  But the book also offers inspiration and vision.  Without neglecting the practical,

  Nehemiah shows how to tackle God’s difficult assignments and survive both

  opposition and apathy.”

It was amazing to me to hear my young daughter-in-law instruct me in something that I should have realized myself.  It caused me to realize that once again the Lord was teaching me as I continued on this journey and that He used so many people to keep me on track and to teach me what He wanted me to learn.   The problem just seemed to be that I was such a slow learner.