Pizza Time!
“Pizza! At least there will be pizza!”
That’s what I tell myself to alleviate the stress of my burning legs, growing appetite, and my emerging certainty that I had missed the turn to go back to the school. I glanced down at my cycling computer and noticed it had just ticked to 104 miles. Yep, I had definitely missed the turn to go back to the school.
The problem was not so much that I had missed my turn, but rather; I had no idea where I was. I was in an unfamiliar town, on an unfamiliar road, without a clue where the road I was presently on would lead me. The only thing I knew to do was pull out my phone, type in the school’s address on my GPS and piece together an ad hoc route to finish the race. I typed in the address. Buffering. Buffering.
I wave assuring a vehicle passing by, “I’m not lost. I promise”. Perhaps that assurance was more for me than them. The vehicle continues; the driver shooting me a glance of slight concern. Finally, after an extraordinarily long six seconds, the school pops up on my map. I breathe a sigh of relief. I’m only three-quarters of a mile away. I truly dodged a bullet there. I suppose without technology I would have been relegated to roaming the cotton and corn fields for the remainder of the summer. Note to self - write a “Thank You” letter to Google later.
I clip my right foot back into the pedal and begin the three-quarter mile trek toward the school. A few more vehicles pass. I know secretly, they are laughing at my misery. That’s okay, I’ll have pizza soon. My front tire, slowly, yet confidently hits the recently paved asphalt as I make my way into the school parking lot. My cycling computer ticks closer to 105 miles. I glanced ahead to see my friend, who had been riding with me, just ahead. I roll up next to him, “where is everyone at?” He told me how only four people had chosen the one-hundred-mile route: one finished a while ago, my friend returned second, then me, another remained unaccounted for. More than the absence of vehicles and cyclists I noticed the proverbial pizza counter had dropped to nil. How demoralizing!
Life and in this case cycling races can take their toll on you. You grind and grind only to find things aren’t what you hope for in the end. Jesus knew the race of life would be too much for us without a little help. Shortly before his betrayal and subsequent arrest, Jesus makes this promise: “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (John 14:15-21)
The title “advocate” jumps out at me. It’s a comforting thought to know our advocate will forever be by our side. As we approach the day of Pentecost, let it serve as a reminder that Jesus had one more item in store for us: the interceding, joy bringing, Holy Spirit, sent just for us. We aren’t left to our own devices. God isn’t sitting on his throne as we aimlessly wander around, as he simply wishes us the best of luck. The Holy Spirit not only intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26) but also yields within us, an array of good gifts. (Gal. 5:22-23) The Holy Spirit will surely sustain us through our journey, muscle cramps and all.
Peace to you,
Rev. Taylor
