Ridin' In The Basement!

Margaret, since her hip replacement, has become some kind of Bionic Woman going to the gym three or four times a week, walking with a pedometer and a goal of 10,000 steps a day, doing pilates in the mornings at church, and eating according to her Weight Watchers Pocket Guide. By the way, the meals at home are not only incredible but incredibly good for both of us.

I'm fairly active and I do ride my bike but Margaret informed me that she heard on Doctor Radio, "If you go work out at the gym and come home and sit on the couch you're nothing more than a couch potato who goes to the gym." Well I don't come home and sit on the couch but she said I need to be a little more active. Okay! So I took her up on it and I've decided I would do my best to ride at least thirty miles a day for fifty-one consecutive days. (Fifty one days is what it took me to pedal across America in 2009.) So for my first four or five days, guess what . . . it rained! But! I rode anyway.

Parked, notice I used the word parked, my basement is an almost new Giant stationary training bike. I haven't been using it much. In fact, I had just considered putting it on craigslist to sell for a fraction of what it cost. But . . . while it's still here I've decided to use it.

I've been at it now for a weekend a day and so far I'm right on target with eight days down and forty-three to go! Check this out:

Friday - thirty miles.

Saturday - thirty miles.

Sunday - thirty miles.

Monday - thirty miles.

Tuesday - 57.26 miles.

Wednesday - thirty-two miles.

Thursday - thirty-one miles.

Friday - 33.5 miles.

Do the math! That's 273.76 miles in eight days. (Not all of that total is basement riding but most of it is.) Now I'm certainly not bragging but do hope Margaret reads this and backs off on her Couch Potato Advisory Board stuff. After all, I am trying and 273 miles in eight days isn't too bad.

I have been able to use the cross country ride of 2009 as encouragement as I continue doing the thirty mile days. When I get up early in the morning to ride, usually five-ish, the first obstacle is getting out of bed. I really do like mornings, I only wish my bed wasn't so doggone warm and snuggly when my eyes open each day! I'll be wide awake and ready to go. Sleep doesn't tempt me to stay covered, warmth does. Then the thought hits me, "When I rode across America I had to get up, get over it, get dressed, and get on the bike and go." So that's what I do.

If I get hungry or thirsty, I think, "When I rode across America and got hungry I stopped somewhere that had food and I ate." So that's what I do.

When I get close to the thirty mile target and I'm tired and dripping sweat and starting to stink, I just think, "When I pedaled across America and got to within four or five miles of our motel for the night, I kept pedaling until I reached the motel." So that's what I do.

As Yogi Berra, winner of ten World Series rings and member of The Baseball Hall of Fame, once said, "It's deja-vu all over again." He also said, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it!" I'm not sure about the fork advice but I am doing the cross country ride all over again but right now I'm doing it in my basement!

To make time fly a bit faster I've decided to watch a movie while I pedal each day. I thought I'd read a book but by the end of ten minutes of pedaling I'd be only two pages into the book and it would be soaking wet! Sweat does that to a book, you know? So I stuck with the movies. I've watched The Help, The Great Raid, Invincible, Ocean's Eleven, Schindler's List, Miracle, and October Sky so far. I've even watched Lance Armstrong win his 5th Tour deFrance. (He beat me by only a few seconds!)

When it comes right down to it, riding in the basement isn't even close to the real thing. And riding in the basement is, in my opinion, harder than riding on the road. For one thing, riding in the basement gives you no time for downhill recovery. It's pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal. Without pedaling there will be no miles, zero, added on the cycle computer. There's also no rain, wind, traffic, scenery, dogs, or hills. Pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal! That's it! Pedal!

For the safety-seekers, there are no risks. Even though it is harder, it is also safer to pedal in the basement. Nobody has ever been hit by a truck or chased by a dog while riding in a basement. So if you're the kind of person who worries about riding in the real world, welcome to the basement. One of the big problems for basement riders is this, it's not real. When I ride in the basement I'm pedaling but I'm not going anywhere. Even when I pedal my thirty miles for a day I'm still in the basement and end up right at the very same spot where I started thirty miles ago. Lots of miles but all in one spot! Sure I can watch movies and feel like I'm somewhere else but even the movies are not real, except for Lance doing the Tours. Therefore, according to my experiences, basement riders work hard, stay safe, but miss out on the very real experiences of doing what bikes are designed to do.

Too many people are satisfied just riding in the basement. They don't care if they're just spinning their wheels! They don't care that it's not real. After all, it's safe in the basement. You won't get killed by lightning, a huge dog won't clamp down on one of your legs and send you crashing to the asphalt, you won't crash going down a mountain slope, and you won't end up on the front bumper of an eighteen-wheeler. Yep, it's safe!

I have a feeling lots of people live life like that. They're in their basements, pedaling like crazy, and going nowhere fast. But they're safe. Down there they can't find boats to rock, lines to cross, or boxes in which to color. They are imprisoned in their own basement safety! Do you really think God's plan for man is safety? Why are we commanded to put on armor in Ephesians 6:11? Why do you suppose Jesus warned his disciples as he sent them into the world? "Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves" (Matthew 10:16). Does that sound like a safe mission to you?

In verse 17, Jesus also says, "But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and beaten in the synagogues." Maybe those guys should have headed for the basement where it was safe after all. But they didn't, they chose to take the risks and change the world instead.

World changers won't stay in basements! That would drive them crazy and they'd be bored stiff. No, world changers would be digging tunnels, breaking basement windows, or cutting holes in the walls and floors to get to the real world. Along with all the dangers, hazards, dogs, and eighteen-wheelers, there is a kaleidoscope of God's incredible craftsmanship everywhere one can see. His craftsmanship is out there whether it's the snow on Washington Pass or the mist coming off of Lake Erie, the kazillions of ducks in North Dakota or the big sky blanketing Montana, the sunrise over the Green Mountains of Vermont or the people of America who say to bikers pedaling through, "You must be crazy."

I'll most likely make no significant changes in the world but I'm certainly not staying in the basement. Whenever possible I'd like to color outside the lines with brilliant colors and bold strokes, rock some boats and maybe even sink one or two, push it to the limits, and step over the line sticking my tongue out at the devil every chance I get. The world needs followers of Jesus who will get out of their safe basements into the daylight where they can experience the wonder of God's creation and the mystery, suspense, and dangers of living a life committed to Him. That's where I want to live. How about you?

Erwin Raphael McManus, in his book The Barbarian Way said,

"The civilized build shelters and invite God to stay with them; barbarians move with God wherever He chooses to go. The civilized Christian has a routine; the barbarian disciple has a mission. The civilized believer knows the letter of the law, the barbarian disciple lives the spirit of the law. The religiously civilized love tradition; the barbarian loves challenges. The civilized are satisfied with ritual; barbarians live and thrive in the mystical. For the civilized disciple, religion provides stability and certainty; for the barbarian, a life in God is one of risk and mystery.

"And maybe even a little insanity."

Are you crazy?

A Bicycle Love Story

Bikes and I go a long way back. I don't know where dad got my bikes but I know I had my share and good ones too. They were always used but they were always good! My favorite was a Raleigh 3-speed. I called it my English Bike because it was not made in America, had changeable gears, skinny tires, a lighter frame, and there were not too many around, at least not in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania in the forties!

My bike was my key to freedom. As a kid I could go anywhere and everywhere. I pedaled all over Shrewsbury, Glen Rock, Hungerford, New Freedom, Railroad, and every other little town nearby. One of my most adventurous rides was a ride to Hanover just to get an ice cream cone. Hanover is about twenty miles from Shrewsbury. A forty mile ride for a quickly devoured ice cream cone. But it sure was worth it!

I found out last week about another bike ride that was an important part of my family as well. I don't know what kind of bike it was. I'm not sure if it had skinny tires or fat tires, gears or single-speed, English or American. All I know was it was a very important bike and a very interesting story.

The story begins near East Berlin, Pennsylvania, more than 60 years ago, with a young man whose buddy had a girlfriend over in West York. And wouldn't you know she's got a cute friend--Nancy. There's a summer romance separated by 15 miles and a county line that was crossed again and again and again . . . on a bicycle. Richard, 20 years old at the time, was pedaling faithfully all the way, both ways, every day, and many times.

There were dates to the bowling alley, then a ring, six kids, bunches of grandkids, ups and downs, and life together for 61 years!

Missy, the youngest of the couple's six children, said her parents met and fell in love as teenagers. Her dad often joked about his regular bicycle trips from his home to York, where Nancy lived. "I'm not even sure exactly how they met," Missy said. "But he would ride his bicycle down to see mom, I think, every night."

"They married young, started a family and made a home in Hanover. All of their children--three girls and three boys still live in the area," Missy said.

"Getting by for years on just dad's truck-driver's salary, the family was hardly wealthy." But they did all they could for their children. I couldn't ask for a better set of parents," Missy said.

With a lifetime of cherished memories, soon a black-and-white picture of the couple, holding one another and smiling at Richard's 80th birthday party last year, became another memory. That picture was used in the York Daily Record's obituary column last week. Twice.

Nancy, 77, died at home on a cold Sunday morning in Hanover. She died in her sleep, peacefully. The family met, cried, remembered. The clock on the wall said 12:25. They would now head to the York Hospital to deliver the bad news. Richard was not thinking as clearly as he was just days before. The family who feared that their dad would have to be put in a home--a place he'd often made them promise he'd never be taken--was listening as Richard was saying things no one could understand and was asking for a drink of water. The clock in his room was stuck on 12:25.

Family members tried to comfort him with words and water as he said over and over, "Pull me up." It continued that way for some time and finally there was a long, deep breath, a pause, and then theses words from a man who served his country in wartime, and then saw it from a truck's cab with his wife by his side.

"Hold me tighter now."

A minute later he was gone.

Off to be with the woman he fell in love with 60-plus years ago. Two people unable to be apart.

I suppose I'm a little off the subject here except for the bike ride from East Berlin to York and back, but the story is on my heart and I'll surely not forget it. Nancy is my sister and Richard, we called him Dick, is my brother-in-law.

I didn't get to see them very often but family is always family. At the funeral and afterwards I spoke with family members as we laughed, cried, and caught up. Mostly we laughed because of the memories we shared. One of my favorite quotes is, "Memory is a wonderful treasure chest for those who know how to pack it." Well, Nancy and Dick had their treasure chest packed to the limit. Their kids and grandkids shared and remembered the many years together.

And . . . they still tell about the bike rides from East Berlin to York.

Nancy A. Trimmer

July 3, 1934 - January 8, 2012

Richard C. Trimmer Sr.

December 19, 1930 - January 8, 2012

WHEEL POWER

Years ago, before 2003, I pedaled from Cartersville to Athens. The event was the Ride For The Family sponsored by Focus On The Family. It was a three day event with somewhere around 200+ miles of the ups and downs of North Georgia. While on the ride I met Judy Bowman and spoke with her as we pedaled. She is a Missionary to USA, a world record holder in cycling, had already pedaled across America fourteen times (at that point), and founder of WHEEL POWER Christian Cyclists, headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia. WHEEL POWER Christian Cyclists is an evangelistic ministry spreading the Gospel in America and around the world on bicycles. It stands for: Witnessing, Helping, Evangelizing, Encouraging, and Loving as we Press OnWard to Eternal Rewards.

Judy is a winner in life as well as cycling. She hasn't always been that way but she is now. You can read about her life journey in her evangelistic tract entitled, "Can We Pedal Our Way To Heaven." You probably don't have a copy of her tract with you right now so for this blog I have copied her story. I believe it will be a challenge as we begin this new year.

Can We Pedal Our Way to Heaven?

Cycling is one of those things I like to do when I need a break from my daily responsibilities. It provides me with freedom from survival obligations: I can forget everything and enjoy the peacefulness that riding gives, plus it allows me the opportunity to think, dream, and be me.

There is a real joy in being out in the open, seeing God's creation up close, breathing the fresh air, and absorbing the beauty all around.

I find when I'm riding that I usually encounter many different types of terrain. Sometimes there is that flat, almost monotonous road that goes for miles without changing. At other times there are rolling hills that speed up the heart rate and make me work harder to reach my destination. And then there are those "impossible" grades that seem to go only UP and UP and UP!

HILLS AND MOUNTAINS IN LIFE

You know, I can't help but compare life to bike riding experiences. Many times in life we find ourselves gliding along at an easy, even pace with little changes and few challenges. We hope it will never end. But sure enough, a hill comes along and we have to climb it. Sometimes it's one we can get over without much difficulty. At other times, however, the hills become mountains that stretch up to the sky. We give it all we've got, but it's like we're barely making any progress.

Several years ago I was in the middle of such an "impossible"climb. I had recently been divorced and was trying to raise my small son by myself. Times were hard, there was little money, I was scared, and the demands seemed too great for me to handle alone.

TOUGH ON THE OUTSIDE . . . SCARED ON THE INSIDE

On the outside, everyone saw a tough human being, getting everything together, smiling, and happily living life. Deep inside, however, I was empty. I couldn't figure out the real purpose for living. I tried to fill my time with sports, people, and activities, but inside I was lonely.

I had grown up in a good home where I heard that there was a God, who supposedly cared about everything in my life. Yet, during those rough days it was hard for me to realize that there really was a God.

Then, one day, during a particularly difficult mountain I was facing, I called out to God and asked Him to help me and show me what to do. It wasn't long after that prayer that I became acquainted with several people who started sharing with me about a God who loves me, cares about every detail of my life, and had been waiting with open arms to receive me into His family.

NEW LIFE . . . NEW OUTLOOK

I realized that my emptiness could only be satisfied as I asked God to forgive me of my sins and fill my life with His love. I became a child of God that day and found the peace I had longed for. My life still has mountains, valleys, and hills, but the climb is easier because I don't have to go it alone. God is always with me.

God loves you, too, and has a wonderful plan for your life! His Son, Jesus Christ, came to earth to die in your place, took the consequences your sins deserve, and came back to life three days later. By simply accepting those facts and believing that God will credit Christ's death to your account, you can be forgiven like I was and receive eternal life, too! The Bible says, "Christ died for [your] sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God" (1 Peter 3:18).

All the pedaling you do, all the mountains you conquer in this life will not help you reach eternity with God in heaven. But by believing in Jesus Christ and trusting Him as your Savior from sin's eternal punishment, you can have eternal life with Him in heaven. "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

I know without a shadow of a doubt, on the authority of the Bible, that my eternity is going to be spent with God. I also know that my life has purpose and meaning because it is now guided and directed by the One who created me, loves me, and lives within me every day of my life.

It all started when I expressed my new belief to God in words like this: "Dear God, I admit I've sinned against you many times. But now I realize that Jesus died in my place and took the judgment I deserved. I accept your offer of forgiveness. From now on I'm trusting only in your Son, Jesus Christ, for eternal life. Thank you for making me one of your children."

My friend, I want you to know God too. Jesus Christ changed my life and has given me the peace, joy, and contentment I longed for. Please contact me if I can answer any questions, pray with you, or help you make the same discovery I did.

-Judy Bowman

Judy is still pedaling and organizing rides today. You can check out her ministry, WHEEL POWER Christian Cyclists, at www.WHEELPOWER.org. Take a look.

Pedal smarter not harder!