“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9

Cycling may be fun, but road safety is very much a constant consideration. I wear a helmet all the time, I dress in garishly bright clothing and even my socks are obnoxiously loud. My bike sports flashing lights on both the front and the back, and I am working on the best solution for seeing what is coming up behind me.

The “seeing behind” thing is so far the biggest challenge. I tried a couple of different handlebar mounted mirrors without success, I have a rearview radar in my future, and then this week I am experimenting with a mirror mounted on the side of my helmet. So far so good.

The issue here is the fact that my glasses feature progressive lenses. In consequence my sideways glance to a mirror fastened to the helmet requires a rapid refocus – and if I do it too often the eye-shift makes me feel a little dizzy. But it can become a learned reflex so I remain optimistic.

One serious plus is how quiet the roads are. In town, traffic is not too heavy, plus people by and large tend to be aware and careful around bikes. Then, out on the rural roads connecting to places like Speed and Hobgood and Conetoe and Pinetops, cars are few and far between, and if they do come along they cooperate when it comes to sharing the road.

Regardless, it is important to maintain a clear view so as to avoid surprises.

The promise of tomorrow!

We may feel like we are moving through our lives mimicking the two-dimensional progress of a bike across a GPS map. But we exist in at least three dimensions, plus if we include time and eternity then we are dealing with a minimum of four plus.

On a bike this means not spending so much time looking back that I slam into a parked car in front of me at twenty miles-per-hour! In my life as an ever-evolving human being it means understanding that moving forward is pretty much everything, and that every next decision I make can create the promise of a new tomorrow.

But those brief looks back, with clarity, they are important. This is especially useful – as my daughter Naomi pointed out – if it helps us to reflect and to learn and to become wise. But looking back must never distract us from moving forward and living into what new possibilities lie ahead.

Every once in a while we have to make sure we are aware of our surroundings, and that means looking in the rearview mirror too. Because if we know a little about about what lies behind, then we are going to be better prepared for what might come next.

And what lies ahead is everything. As Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

What I do know is that God’s promise is some kind of wonderful – DEREK