July 25, 2012
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Hole in one
...tire, that is. Tomo and I set out for a "date" late this morning. Along the way, the back tire on my bicycle started losing air. As I pedaled the way became harder and harder. By and by, we lost all air and were just bumping along on the rim. Fortunately, our destination was within sight; albeit, quite a long sight. We walked the remaining distance to our destination and enjoyed our time together. Corey was able to pick up Tomo, and then I set out to find a place to get my tire fixed. Armed with my iPhone and with a listing of about 6 places, I set out to find a repair shop. I went to the place that I was closest to and found the remnants of what probably used to be a bicycle shop. The next closest place forced me to circle around a very "large block" in order to go the opposite direction from where I originally started, but the ended up with a shop that was all shuttered up. The third place on the list really looked like I was headed no place fast. It was a dead end street that lead to the railroad tracks, but unless you blinked you would notice a hole in the wall place with a man looking rather bored in what said bicycle shop on the outside but looked more like a key making shop on the inside. I had to do a double, no really, a triple take on the shop to realize that it was what I needed and that it was open. At the hole in the wall shop I was able to get the hole in my bicycle tire repaired. It is a good thing because the next address would have forced my to go under the tracks to the other side and much further away from where I wanted to go. Walking all over the place while pushing a bike that doesn't work right and in some rain with PLENTY of humidity is rather exhausting.
I was surprised once I hopped back on my bike how easy it was to pedal it. It was then I realized that maybe my tire had been flat or going flat longer than I thought it had. That revelation led to me thinking about how sin is sort of like getting a flat tire. It slows you down and hinders you. I hadn't noticed that my tire was loosing air or that it was hindering me until I realized we were bumping about on the rim. Once you hand your sins over to Jesus, it is freeing and so much easier to pedal on through life.
Hebrews 12:1-13
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,”[so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
