Day Three

This just in from Tony Galieti, one of the riders:

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

-       1 Corinthians 15:58

I believe I mentioned yesterday that thunderstorms were an absolute non-starter.  Which is entirely true, and I’m sticking to it.

…but we had already started.

In fact, we were about 85 miles into our ride today when the skies opened up.  It rained hard for about 30 minutes. When the worst had past, we decided to jump back on our bikes and finish (yes, the lightening was gone!). Still raining, we rode on. 

In the second half of today’s route, there were a lot of climbs.  Difficult climbs end up causing the pack of riders to get blown apart as the strong riders power up the hills, while the less strong get left in the dust (it was too wet for dust today, but you get the point).  Further, not all our riders know the ride routes, so we ended up with several groups on various roads around Holmes County. The end result was a good thing, as we ended up racking up more miles finding our way back to the route (see Romans 8:28)!  That said, if you ask one of the riders how many miles they rode on day 3 the answers will be all over the map (pun intended).

While the raindrops were hammering my sunglasses today, I was reflecting on the verse that Tom Randall shared during last night’s devotional.  I believe it provides a marked difference between how our culture looks at individual achievement and what God encourages each of us to do.  The world values “epic” performances, where individuals who have accomplished monumental tasks are applauded and commended. In stark contrast, the Lord encourages each of us to do what we are able to do, knowing that whatever it is we do will not be in vain. We may never see the result of our labor, but the Lord promises that it will not be in vain.

As I think about this endeavor, in which we are all engaged, each of us is doing our share. If you’ve only been able to give, what you may consider to be a small amount, or if you don’t want to give because you think it is too insignificant, please be encouraged that the Lord will use it for His glory and to further His kingdom!

Thanks for your generosity, your notes of encouragement, and most of all for your prayers!

In Christ’s love,

Tony