My fear isn’t crashing this bike at 85 mph. It is sitting in my chair at 90 thinking: I wish I’d done more.

Graeme Obree

I have this story I want to share. I planned on posting this morning but ended up a little bit lost in the countryside around Scotland Neck, in the middle of a longer than anticipated bicycle ride. So I guess I will wrap both stories together in what is a continuation of yesterday’s post featuring my ride up Main Street.

Part One is the delightful dinner we enjoyed Friday evening at the home of Angie and Sammy Gregg, along with their friends Bo and Teala. It was a beautiful evening in every way (great food and even better people) and ended up with Sammy trusting me to take good care of his very classy Trek Domane SL 5 road bike.

For me, this is a huge moment in my commitment to great health in my 70’s, along with my newfound joy in bicycle-riding. Having the right equipment is going to make this process a lot more fun and I feel both beyond grateful and a little giddy with excitement.

I didn’t use the new bike for this morning’s big ride (I need to learn it first) but the simple fact that I now have it boosted my motivation and my confidence. The “Scotland Neck Country Roads Bike Tour” is an annual event that organizes 25K, 50K and 100K routes through the beautiful farmlands.

The weather was perfect and it looked like more than 100 cyclists were involved. This was my first legit big community ride and I enjoyed the festive, mutually encouraging atmosphere. It did not take long for the field to spread out and then it came time for me to peel off for the shorter orange route while my friends pushed on to the longer distances (yellow and green).

Riding by myself now, I came across a small sign with a yellow arrow that signaled a turn. However, as my route was advertised as orange, I kept on down the road, deeper into the countryside. A couple of miles farther along it was obvious I was no longer anywhere near the Scotland Neck Country Roads Bike Tour!

So, GPS on my phone to the rescue. But this is also why I logged a 35.4K ride instead of the advertised 25!

When I rejoined the original route I caught up with another rider who was not making much headway. I slowed down to match his pace and found out that he had been confused by the signage to the extent that he was quite lost and considering turning around. So we rode the last few miles together and encouraged each other along the way.

Here is the bottom line. It is always a better day when we are able to encourage someone else in their journey. It doesn’t matter what we are involved in, there are always fellow travelers and we can give one another strength.

There really is no such thing as a wrong turn when we are tuned in to God’s generous grace and where the Spirit is leading us.

Right now it is Saturday afternoon, friends – I will see you in church tomorrow morning. If you are not within driving distance of Tarboro, then I hope you will take the time to attend worship in your own community.

God is good, and this life is a constant blessing – DEREK