Around We Go

We live by faith, not by sight. 

– 2 Corinthians 5:7

After surviving a three-day mountain bike ride around the White Rim Trail in Moab, Utah, I want to change that Bible verse to say: I bike by faith, not by sight. 

If I’d known how tremendously challenging this adventure in the desert was going to be, I would have made up any excuse in the world to skip it… the cat needs a bath, my pinky toes are too swollen to fit into my bike shoes or, it’s canning season and those peaches are calling my name.” (As excuses go, though, I no longer have a cat (thank God), my pinky toes are tiny, and I’ve never ever canned anything in my life.) 

I’m glad I didn’t come up with better excuses, because the ride around the White Rim Trail was quite spectacular. 

Looking back on the ninety plus mile trek through the desert, all I can say is “Thank you God.” 

Sitting at home on the couch now, I forget the pain and remember God’s incredible presence along the trail. I’m in awe of how God often reveals Himself through nature. 

Numerous stars and endless sand remind us of the promise He kept to Abraham, the Father of many nations. Breath-taking cliffs like the Grand Canyon, remind us of God’s unending, deep love for His children. Brilliant blue skies, gentle breezes, and the harvest moon reflect God’s beauty, splendor, and glory all around us. Magnificent mountains craved and shaped in unique formations towering high remind us that God is the potter and we are the clay. He is the master artist. We are His masterpieces. 

Living in nature for three days, I had a lot of time to think about God on the bike. Thousands of times my feet went around and around, every pedal stroke a complete circle. At some point in the trip, it hit me that Circles are just like our lives. 

We’re circling the calendar every year. Hours become days, days become months, and months become years. As I fell asleep under the harvest moon, I reflected on what I’d like my life to be this time next fall.

It’s important to step back from our lives every once in a while, whether it’s in the whirlwind of busyness or on a day of rest. Ask yourself.

Am I…

• Awake to God’s presence around me?
• Living close God in every area of my life?
• Inviting Jesus to lead me along the paths God has for me?
• Visualizing the ways God wants to change and grow me?
• Ever becoming more like Jesus in character and action?

When you focus on these questions, your faith will be ALIVE. You will be able to look back a year from now and see God’s hand at work in making your life more like Jesus’ and you will find lots of ways to look up and simply say “Thank you God.”

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement