Now I'm in the hotel resting and feeling a little guilty because I didn't do much today. I rode three days straight of 100+ miles - 373 miles in three days to be exact.
I don't think I ever imagined I could really do that kind of mileage. Day before yesterday I asked a number of you all to pray for me and I know you were doing so yesterday, but the results weren't quite what I was hoping. Instead of the wind at my back, it was against me. Instead of downhill, I had more uphill. Nothing was easier. It got me thinking. I remember an anecdote my aunt told me once about a conversation between her and my grandpa not too many years ago before he died. She was complaining to him about her hard day at work and he said something like, "You want an easy day?" As if to say, "how is that going to help you?" My grandpa was pretty wise.
I also read one of the Psalms before I headed up the last 20-mile hill. One verse in particular caught my attention. Psalm 138:3 says, "On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased." Now when I read that yesterday, I don't know what I thought, but it stuck in my mind. As I trudged up the hills and finally made it to the last downhill and finally rolled into the parking lot of the stopping point, I realized that God's not in the business of making things easier for us, he's in the business of developing our character. My strength of soul won't be increased by all downhills, not physically, not emotionally and not spiritually. The challenging bits are what makes us strong.
So when you prayed for me, I didn't get what I wanted, but I got just what I needed. God's pretty cool that way. Thanks to Him and thanks to you all.
Tomorrow I head toward Monclova.
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