I love riding my bike. I'm not talking about a Harley Davidson or a souped up hot rod. I'm talking about a 16 speed road bike that makes Memphis Tennessee feel like the Tour de France. Okay, maybe not quite but it's still one of my favorite hobbies. A few nights ago I decided that I was going to go on a ride for at least 20 miles and would not return home until my mission was complete. Everything was going well until I was 10 miles out and I heard the disturbing hiss of discouragement tempting me to give up on my goal. You've heard the hiss I'm sure...perhaps it came in the form of another bill that said that you'll never be able to get out of debt. Maybe it was the sound of an argument that tempted you to think that the best days of your marriage are behind you. Maybe it was the sound of bad news from your child that made you think that all of the things that you tried to teach them went in one ear and out of the other. There you were progressing through your goals when all of a sudden the wind is let out of your sails and you come to a halt. Psssssssssssssss... Stinks doesn't it?!
I don't know how you feel about yours but when I heard the hiss of disappointment coming from my tire that caused me to have to place my progress on pause I was tempted to give up on my goal and say, "at least I tried". I felt discouraged for a moment and thought about how much it stunk to have to sit on the side of the road in 90 degree heat fixing a tire with a swarm of mosquitoes adding insult to injury but before I allowed the negative to take over I decided to say "Praise God that I have a spare". With a quick breath of optimism and gratitude I commenced to repair the tire and finish the course that I had planned. In fact, I was able to add an additional 5 miles to my goal! Much in the same way, as you make plans to walk in the victory that you see in the Bible and hear about in church you will undoubtedly encounter challenges along the way and you will have a choice to make. You can either allow the frustration to bring you down or you can fix it and move forward. I chose the latter and I hope you'll do the same.
