Hi friends and family!
First, a big thanks to all of you who supported Jordan and I as we biked across the a fraction of the country! Your support and hospitality was truly a blessing.
I parted with Jordan in Bluffton, OH and traveled on to Illinois by myself, safely arriving in Sterling, IL on Friday, May 15th early afternoon in time to watch the local high school conference track meet. For reference, I was hoping to get home by the 21st at the latest, and 17th by the earliest, so I was weeell ahead of schedule :) Total trip was about 933 miles from Harrisonburg, Va to Sterling, IL.
There are many stories that come from the trip, but one that I think is my favorite shows the power of prayer and God's protective hand.
I was biking from Stryker, Ohio to Merry Lea Center in Indiana to meet up with friends. As I left, a slightly concerned Karen Graber told me that I could wait out the rain another day, she would love to have me stay another day. But like Paul going to Jerusalem I knew that I must go forward.
As I biked away a large dark cloud began to form in front of me; never a good sign in the midwest. I was willing and prepared to get wet, but I knew that Karen and my mom were watching the radar knowing that I was biking into some chaotic weather.
As the miles wore by I soon saw a white cloud shaped like a spear. It moved like clouds do, in that slow and persistent way. It seemed to slice the big black storm right in two and I watched as two dark storms passed to the north and south of me. I stayed dry.
It happened again and again. All day I saw storms and fierce clouds to the right and the left, but the worst always went around me.
But I did get wet. For about 10 miles I suffered a steady warm rain that got me wet, but did not frighten me or turn the day sour. A nice coffee store owner even invited me in for a free cup of coffee and a chance to dry off. When I had warmed up and was ready to leave he told me that there was a tornado watch in the county. But onward I pressed.
Except for that one little part of the day, I remained dry, watching storms pass all around me as I worked my way through Indiana.
Maybe it was luck or fate, but I choose to believe that someone must have been praying for me; maybe my mom, or Karen, or some other person that I met in my travels. God watches out for us. We may still get wet, but it could have been lightning and twisters instead.
So, moral of the story, pray for the people you encounter in life, either passing by in other cars, or on bikes, or in the store, or those who are in your home. Maybe they are riding into a storm. Maybe your prayers can bring a blessing when all they expect is rain.
God is at work all the time. All we need to do is take notice and participate :)
Jacob
