Day 9: My Bicycle Basket

You make known to me the path of life; 
 you will fill me with joy in your presence, 
 with eternal pleasures at your right hand.  ~Psalm 16:11

     Last June Pat and I took a bike ride on the newly opened Rail Trail over by us.   We bought our bikes the summer before last, so they are fairly new.  I have a cute little basket on the front of mine.   We put our water bottles in the basket and set off.  When we got on the trail, people admired my basket.  Baskets are handy things to have after all.  I envisioned a romantic bicycle ride through beautiful scenery, chatting with my husband.  I hoped he would be able to keep up with me.  Pat might be stronger than me, but I do a lot of running around up and down stairs every day.  Did I mention that God has a sense of humor and pride does come before the fall.
     Much more  quickly than I anticipated, like right away, my legs began to ache.  I begged Pat to stop and rest.  He looked at me funny but waited for me to catch up.  I panted, "I think my gears might be a little rusty or something.  I feel like I’m pedaling in water."  Pat glanced over.  There was nothing obviously wrong with my bike so when I caught my breath, we began again.  Pat helpfully suggested that I try shifting gears.  I shifted in every direction.  Nothing helped.  One painfully long mile later, I was grouching, surely we were going up a subtle but steep incline.  My legs were quivering.  To make matters worse, Pat looked great!  He was practically riding in circles around me.  It was humiliating.  After three miles, Pat had compassion on me and we turned around.  I was sure the return trip would be better because now I would be going down hill.  Except that it was just as hard to pedal.  I practically crawled back to the car with my bike.  We had gone a total of six miles.
     A few weeks later I got up enough courage to go back to the trail again.  I took all of the kids, olders and youngers.  Pat was working on something at home.  Before we left, Pat helpfully oiled the gears on my bike.   At the Rail Trail, I started off hopefully but once again got into trouble pretty quickly.  My son Brian, graciously offered to put my bike into a gear that made sense.  I think I had shifted it so much the trip before that it was in hundreth gear.   I got back on my bike and while it was easier to ride, I still felt like I was going up hill even though it really is a relatively level surface.  Another very painful six miles.  When we arrived home, I complained to my beloved and long-suffering husband.  “I just don’t get it.   My bike didn’t feel like this last year.  It is just so hard to ride.  I can’t possibly be that out of shape.”
    To humor me, Pat did some investigating.  Pat had me lift the back of the bike.  He spun the wheel.  It rolled merrily along.  Not like me.  Then we tried the front wheel.  He gave it a spin.  After a rotation it slowed then stopped.  He spun it again with more force.  Again the tire went around once then stopped.  We both leaned in and spotted the difficulty.  My beautiful basket was pressing on the brake line.  I had been riding with the front brake dragging on the wheel for twelve miles.
     “Well that’s gotta be tough.” was Pat’s understatement.
     Jesus says in Matt. 11:28-30

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

     Jesus understands that sometimes we feel like we are pedaling up hill both ways.  He understands how hard life can be sometimes.  He understands difficulties and disappointments.  He understands that life does not always go as we thought it should.  He understands all of this and more.
     Jesus offers us an invitation.  It’s not an invitation that denies the reality of our situation, or tells us that it is not as hard as it really is.  What Jesus says is, “Come.”
Come to Jesus, enter into His embrace and He will ride with us on this journey of life where there is fullness of joy and rest for the weary.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.  ~Isaiah 40:31

     Those that wait upon the Lord will even ride their bikes without the brakes on.  We just need to ask Him to join us on the bicycle ride of life.
     Did I mention that I rode TWELVE MILES with the brake on?!!!

Rise and Shine

     Saturday the McMorrow family got up at about 4:30 in the morning.   We went to the Walkway Over the Hudson to see fifteen beautiful hot air balloons launch from the riverbank.
     Pat and I wanted to surprise the kids so we didn’t tell them why they were being dragged from their beds so early on a summer Saturday morning.  There were more than a few groans.  Anthony sleepily pointed out that we were up before our chickens.

    What is it that makes hot air balloons so fascinating?  Is it their ability to defy gravity so effortlessly?  A hot air balloon is made up of three simple parts - the balloon, the burner, and the basket.     The burner warms the air that is blown into the balloon and because warm air is lighter than cool air, the balloon is able to rise up into the sky. 

     Many of the balloons flew over the river and then dropped down to touch the water.  Those fortunate to be in the boats and kayaks clustered on the river had an amazing, up close, and personal view.

     I was thinking, we could be like these balloons.  We could be filled with the warm breath of God, stretched taunt, and lighter than air, casting off the tethers that hold us down, lifting and soaring as He directs.  

     We could dip into the water of the Holy Spirit, allowing others to see our good works and give glory to God.

     And when we are deflated and depleted of His power and anointing, when we feel like we have been poured out and empty;  we could allow Him to fill us again.  Because being filled with God is not a one time thing, but rather a lifetime of repeated refilling with His Word and His Spirit.

 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
  ~Romans 8:11

       So, as we were making our way back to the car, I told Anthony the reason I woke him up so early.    God invites us to fly with the eagles, not to scratch with the chickens.

Wrong Way

      Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it.  ~Isaiah 30:21

     Last Sunday morning, after taking pictures of bald eagles, the five of us joined my husband’s youngest sister and her family for breakfast.  We had to walk about a quarter of a mile along narrow back roads to a family restaurant.  There was a surprising amount of traffic on the road.  When I saw the crowd walking toward this sign, I knew I had a photo opportunity.
    Has you life had some “Wrong Way” in it.  Have you been a bit lost or in the wrong place?  Maybe things are flying at you too fast and you are unsure of your journey and even your destination.
     We can change our wrong way direction and give the control of our life to the God who allows U-turns.

     For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  ~Jeremiah 29:11

     Our Savior wants to lead us to our destination.  To the place where we will never be lost.   To a place of perfect peace and love.  A place that was prepared just for us.

     "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.   ~John 14:1-6

     Jesus told us that there is a narrow gate.  Sooner or later all of us will pass through it.  This may come unexpectedly through accident or perhaps we will know and be given some time to prepare.  Take comfort that the narrow gate will be wide enough for two, You and your Savior.  The One who has led you all through life will not desert you then, and where He is, there you will be also.
     If you find yourself walking the wrong way take time to speak to God and let Him set you back on the right path.

On Eagles Wings

A bald eagle soaring.

Always trust an unknown future to a known God.  ~ Corrie Ten Boom

     Have you ever felt like you were at the end of your rope?  You are not having a bad day, you're having a bad season.
     Your dreams have been put on hold.
     Your hands are tied.
     Your vision diminished.
     You are exhausted.
     You are the one who is sick and in need.
     The situation, not only seems to be getting worse, but there doesn't seem to be any hope of it ever getting better.  Can you relate?
     I was reading over a favorite portion of scripture, one I've read many times, when I noticed something I had never seen before.

     Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:  Who created all these?  He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.  Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.  Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord, my cause is disregarded by my God." 

     What the children of Israel were saying was, "Isaiah, God just doesn't get it.  He doesn't understand my situation.  God isn't paying attention to my problem.  In fact, He didn't even notice."
     Here is how Isaiah responds:

     Do you not know?  Have you not heard, The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;  But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint. ~ Isaiah 40:27-31

      My youngest son and I saw bald eagles in the wild this past weekend.  You can read about it here.
   Our circumstances are no surprise to God.  Our God is God.   He fully understands and comprehends our situation.  He meets us in our situation.
     A friend once said, "Cheer up!  Someday you are going to die!"  He knew that our God specializes in resurrections.  He is our Creator.  He can bring new life to dead situations and dead relationships.  He can cause new love to blossom and healing to take place.
   
     Ah Lord God!  Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and out stretched arm, there is nothing too hard for thee.  ~ Jeremiah 32:17

Bald Eagles

A bald eagle

     Our family went to a wedding in Pennsylvania this weekend.  When we checked into the hotel, the hostess mentioned that there were a pair of bald eagles nesting by the lake on the property.  So at seven o'clock in the morning, Connor and I hurried down to the lake with my camera.  Connor reminded me that I should have brought a pair of binoculars for eagle watching.  He also told me that I needed coffee to fuel my brain first thing in the morning, but let's talk about the eagles.

Yup!  It really is a bald eagle!

     The eagle was roosting pretty far away on a dead tree at the edge of the lake.  This was as close as I could get and even with my long lens, it's not a great shot.  Still, we were able to see a bald eagle in the wild.  Connor and I were pretty excited.

Soaring.

     A bald eagle has a wingspan of about 6 to 7 1/2 feet.  This eagle was impressively large.  Connor was thrilled when we heard it call, "kleek kik ik ik ik."

The bowl shaped shadow in the tree is their nest!

     Bald Eagles were moved off of the endangered list in 1995.  They are now on the threatened list.  Have you ever seen a bald eagle outside of a zoo?