After the bike ride – Installment Two

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY – 

Mother's Day - A day in which we celebrate mothers.  Every day should be Mother's Day because every day mothers are hard at work helping and caring for and upholding the family.  Mother's are the glue that hold families together.  God is the glue that hold mother's together. 

Mother's Day at our house in Lodi - four generations

Mom, Laurel with baby Samuel and Barb

Grandma Barb, Papa Bob with Laurel and baby Samuel

Proud Daddy Danny

My Mom, Samuel, my sister Cindy visiting from Virginia

Terri and I headed for Colorado Springs, Colorado in her car.  We got to Las Vegas the first night and found a hotel.  We went to the new Casino just to see what they were like.  I only remember one - New York, New York. 

We were not your good customers to a casino.  We walked and walked and I had to keep reminding myself we were in a Casino.  The interior was so much like the street of New York that I kept forgetting why people went there - to gamble.  We didn't drop a penny other than at a restaurant.  We walked all the way back to our hotel and discovered that it really wasn't a safe thing to do.  The temperature at midnight was 101 degrees. 

        The next morning we set out for Colorado again, but took one more swing through Las Vegas by car to see some of the buildings.

After the Bike Ride - Installment One

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY –

So, what happens after an experience like this? After you get the job, have the baby, launch the global initiative, publish the book, or finish the house renovations? (Or finish 18 months of training and a 224 mile bike ride?) As your life gradually returns to "normal," you assimilate the new experience into your sense of yourself. You let it in. You acclimate to the new altitude, look around, see what's different, what's the same. But mostly, you're exhausted and depleted. You need a period of recovery.

Achievers forget this so easily. You are groomed to be industrious and effective, but not to allow for recovery or transition between projects.

I found this quote, but it didn't say who said it but it is really is quite true.   

        At the beginning of the week, as I tried to get back to work in the drapery shop and catch up on household chores, I received a letter from Focus on the Family.  It was an invitation to attend their 25th Silver Anniversary in Colorado Springs, Colorado in July.  It would be a week-long celebration, culminating with a bike ride in the Rockies.   All I could think of was, "You've got to be kidding!  Me, riding in the Rockies when the California coastal range just about did me in.  No Thank you!"  In fact, I threw the letter away.  Several days later when speaking with Terri on the phone, she asked me to go with her.  The reason she gave for going to Colorado was that she wanted to participate, not as a rider but as a volunteer.  The volunteers and the staff of Focus had given so much to us that she wanted to be able to pay them back in some small way.  I wish I could have thought of it myself, but after considering for a few day, and speaking with Bob about it, he agreed that I could go.

         We called and gave told Focus we would be coming and told them we would assist in any way we could but that we would not be participating in the bike ride.  Terri and I made plans.  She would be driving her car and we would share gas, rooms and other expenses.  I was amazed at that time that the bike ride journey was not over as I had previously thought upon returning home after the last day of the ride on Sunday of Father's Day weekend.  I wondered what adventure was awaiting us and what plans God had in store for us.  Other than the actual driving there, we had left open the door for whatever was to come.

Installment 102 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

IT IS FINISHED!  OR IS IT?

 My daughter Laurel showing me the sign that the grandchildren made.  

My Dad presenting me with bicycle pendant while Ryan Dobson looks on.

Barb and Ryan Dobson

       My Dad and Mom presented me with a 14k gold bicycle charm as a necklace.  Laurel showed me the sign the grandkids had made. We took pictures again, said our goodbyes to all knowing that we would probably never see most of these fellow riders or Focus staff members again.  But we were thankful for the blessing of the three days of camaraderie, companionship, encouragement and maximum effort in the face of adversity.  We knew we had accomplished a great thing by this ride and we had been part of a large effort for making the country aware of the Focus on the Family ministry and for helping to raise a huge amount of money for the ministry - $2,140,543.47. 

            Laurel left for home in her car and Bob and I and my folks went back over the bridge to Sausalito where we had dinner together on at a restaurant overlooking San Francisco Bay.  I remember very distinctly that everyone was dressed nicely but me.  I was still in my riding suit and bicycle shoes.  I must have been quite a sight with no makeup, dirt on my face and hair blown completely out of place.  We had nice dinner.  It was hard to believe that after all that riding I was back on solid ground.  The team had ridden a total of 224.1 miles in three days.   Whoopee!  Bob and I then drove home in his pickup and I was shocked to see that route home took us over that first “Ska-wy” bridge again and I kept saying to Bob, “Look at this bridge; look how high it is.  It’s even scary in the pickup!” 

            Once home, the riding over, I thought that the episode with Focus on the Family was over, but God had other plans. 

COME BACK ON MONDAY AND STAY TUNED TO SEE WHAT ADDITIONAL PLANS GOD HAD FOR ME WHICH I WAS TOTALLY UNAWARE OF AT THE TIME.

Installment 101 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below

             

The Journey - Installment One Hundred-One

         When we all got to the San Francisco side of the bridge, we all gathered again and the other riders made me go ahead of them.  I was so unsure of the route and I think I lead them the wrong direction before they got me heading the right way.  We rode into the area called Marina Green which is a large expanse of grass situated between Marina Boulevard and the boat harbor in San Francisco.  It is a little triangle of green which is a favorite area of runners, skaters, dog walkers, etc.  

This aerial view shows the road on which we finished the ride.

 

        About ten feet from the finish line, with me leading the way and about to cross the finish line first, I saw my Mom and Dad and daughter Laurel (holding up a sign made by the grandkids) so I pulled the bike over by them, and got off the bike while the rest of the riders streamed past me and over the finish line.   Someone came up to me and said, “Barbara, you need to cross the finish line.”  I got back on my bike and rode the ten feet or so crossing the finish line,  LAST.  I could have been first, but I was last.  At the end of the second day of the ride, when I commented that I was last again Lisa had replied to me, “Remember what the Lord said, ‘The first shall be last and the last shall be first.’”  She had no idea when she said that how true it was to be for the end of our ride.  I believe that God has a great sense of humor and that He must have been smiling.  He gave me the privilege of crossing the finish line first; me, the most unworthy and the most unlikely.  Did I take advantage of that honor?   People have asked me why I got off my bike so soon.  I think my answer would be that I never thought of the ride as having a finish line – just a finish.  When I got to Marina Green which was the goal all along, I felt I had finished.  What does a stupid little line mean anyway?   

(Don't quit now, there's more.) 

Installment 100 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below

The Journey - Installment One Hundred

     

ANOTHER "SKA-WY" BRIDGE

         When we all were gathered together at the parking lot and entrance to the Golden Gate Bridge, another mind-blowing incident occurred.  After having group photos taken, the leader of the Focus staff said, “We always give the honor to someone on this ride to cross the finish line first.  Who shall it be?”  In unison, all of the riders yelled out, “Barbara, Barbara, Barbara.”  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  At that moment I remember thinking that there was no way that they had decided this ahead of time and I knew it my heart that it was spontaneous.  I think they all knew what a struggle this ride had been for me.  I was the oldest, the most overweight and the one with the most knee trouble.  What an honor that was. 

        The leader then said, “Barbara, lead the way to Marina Green.”  I was horrified because there was no way I was going to be the first one across the Golden Gate Bridge.  Now that was a really  “Ska-wy” bridge and the wind was blowing unmercifully.   Two of the “Hammerheads” volunteered to go ahead of me until we crossed over. 

(These pictures do not capture exactly what I remember.  I remember a high chain link fence along side of the bridge and I don't see it in these photos.  I did not take these pictures.  I imagine the fence has been added to prevent "jumpers from the bridge" or as windy as it was, I suppose a person could even be blown off the bridge.)

     












        As we came to the first tower that is part of the bridge suspension, we turned right to go around the tower.  The sidewalk on which we were riding went at right angles completely around the tower until it became a straight sidewalk again which paralleled the chain link fence on the edge of the bridge.  When we made that turn, the wind was so strong that the three of us were actually blown backwards while riding our bikes.  We had to jump off and lean into the wind, forcing  ourselves around the tower.  The rest of the group came to the same spot and were bottlenecked at that location. It was a few minutes before the group all got around the tower.    I could not believe how strong the wind was there.  It reminded me of the Pali on the Island of Oahu where the wind also howls as it pushes against you. (As newlyweds, Bob and I stood on the Pali and the wind whipped off my headband and blew it to parts unknown.)  After proceeding around the two towers by dismounting and pushing against the wind we rode along the fence line.  We were up so high and the view, I’m sure was spectacular, but I just couldn’t force myself to turn my head and look.  I am terrified of heights and of course the thought that the wind might blow me where I didn’t want to go if I wasn’t paying strict attention to getting to the other side of the bridge crossed my mind.

Installment 99 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY –  “The power behind you is greater than the task ahead of you.” 

The Journey - Installment Ninety-Nine

        Did I say there would be no more hills? Would you believe it?  Instead of dropping us off at the parking lot entrance to the Golden Gate Bridge where the other riders were waiting, they dropped us off at the bottom of the hill.  I was flabbergasted!  Another stinking hill!  I looked up and asked myself, “How am I going to get up there?”   I did what I thought was the only thing available to me: prayer.  As I got on my bike and started up the hill, I remember saying out loud, “Okay Lord, we can do this, You and I, but I need your help.”  I have absolutely no recollection of getting up that hill.  All I remember is arriving at the top where I needed to get off my bike and wait to cross the road because there was solid line of vehicular traffic.  You can see in the picture below that the road was congested with cars.  I arrived at the top of the hill and remember thinking, “I’m done!”  I didn’t want to wait for the traffic; I just wanted to get across the road, through that gate and into the parking lot.  I just didn’t care about the cars.  I remember turning in front of cars across that busy intersection.  The miracle and most amazing thing that happened was that I crossed without incident.  No cars screeched on their brakes; I didn’t cause an accident; no cars hit one another or skidded.  It was impossible that I could have turned across that road with all that traffic in both directions and no one had to slam on their brakes.  I actually have no recollection of the crossing of the road; I just remember turning across into the traffic and thinking, "I don’t even care if someone hits me – I just want to be done."

  You can see us entering the gate in the middle of the photo. Behind the chainlink fence on the left is the line of traffic I had to ride through (or over).  I won't know the answer to that until I'm face to face with our Lord.  You can't see it in this picture, but there was a solid line of traffic going both directions.

          

       As a postscript to this incident, Toni, the lady from Kansas, happened to be standing at the gate when I crossed the road.  She told me later, that she was so amazed because I had just shot up that last hill and what amazed her was that I had that much energy to do it.  There is no way that I could have done that on my own.  My prayer to the Lord was answered.  Again, He had gotten me up the hill and even across the traffic without my being hit or even inconveniencing the motorists.  This was definitely a supernatural occurrence.  Whether the Lord put His hand on my back and pushed me up that incline or just picked me up and set me down at the top of that hill, I can swear that I didn’t do it on my own and I have no recollection of riding up that hill.  For all I know, He may even have picked me up and set across the busy road at the gate.   Even at the moment I arrived at the top of the hill  I recall that I had no memory of how I got up there.  Remember the motto of this entire ride had been determined at the very beginning eighteen months earlier when my friend Wanda gave me the card that fell out of her mail that day – “The power behind you is greater than the task ahead of you.”  It was truly amazing!  This was the second time on this three-day ride that I gotten to the top of a hill and not by my own power. 

DON'T QUIT READING NOW, WE'RE STILL NOT DONE!

Installment 98 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below

I've had to call off the triathlon, at least for me.  My doctor and the physical therapist think that it is not a good idea for me to think about it at this time.  I will however, continue to do the exercises given to me by the physical therapist and will still walk the dog and work on my stationary bike.  My arm still causes me a lot of pain and is affecting my sleep and Bob's as well as he says I cry out in the night when I move my arm.  This is only a temporary setback, but a triathlon in August of this year is out of the question.

The Journey - Installment Ninety-Eight

        I have no idea where we were exactly when we were  riding up horrible hills again.  It took all I had to get up those monsters.  One time, a couple who were volunteers and riding a tandem bike were alongside and encouraging me.  I gave 110 per cent to get up a particular hill.  With their encouragement I did arrive at the top but I had given all I had to reach that goal.  I had no more to give.   However, once at the top of the hill and at the intersection of another street, I looked and just across the intersection, was another hill to climb, equally as steep.  I just couldn’t do another hill  seconds after the first.  I got off the bike and walked up that hill, pushing my bike beside me.  There was just no more energy to expend.   Sometime in the middle of the afternoon, we came into the quaint little town of Larkspur in the Marin Hills.  Since it was a Sunday and Father’s Day, the town was all decorated on the lamp posts and there was a very festive air about the town. We saw evidence of a street faire as we passed.  For the first time on this three-day ride, we actually had the wind at our backs as we headed down toward San Francisco.  We rode so fast with the wind assisting us and we saw, after a few miles, San Quentin Prison on our left.   We had the use of several bike trails during this last part of our long journey.  One trail was called “Top of the Hill Bike Trail” and it was murder getting up there.  Again, the encouragement from the volunteers really made a difference for me and all of the riders.

       As we finished one bike trail and were about to head up another hill, the vans were pulled over and asked us to stop.  They said, “Ladies, you’ve done a great job but you are still ten miles from the Golden Gate Bridge.  The other riders are already there waiting and there are guests waiting across the bridge for us.  We ask that you allow us to load your bikes and take you the ten miles to the bridge.”  At that point, I was definitely agreeable.  There were still ten miles of hills ahead and who know how long that would have taken us.  I was getting exhausted by this time.  On the first day when the vans wanted to take us back to the hotel, I had a definite feeling that it would be wrong for me to allow it.  At this time, however, I felt no such feeling against finishing the rest of the ride in the vans especially since just a few of us would be holding up everyone else.  We loaded the bikes and I found myself saying a little prayer of thanks that there would be no more hills.  But, that was not to be!