White Rabbits

Went out for a little ride on this perfect Saturday, and just took some time to marvel at the brilliance of fall.  How interesting, that it's at the time of their death that the leaves are most beautiful.

Stopped at one point for a while to do some reading.  Several folks came up to ask how I was doing, to make sure I was ok. One gentleman just wouldn't be waved off though, and actually asked what it was that I was reading.  It was trash of course, so I demurred, and then he asked again, and I tried to deflect again.  

At last he asked, "Are you reading the Bible?"  And of course, while I had my trusty travel Bible in my bag as well as my phone, I was using neither.

After reading for a little while more (and getting into Corinthians just a bit) it was starting to get dark, so I headed for home.  Sure enough, I saw the mystery rider passing up ahead, so I decided to detour a bit and follow him down the trail on the way home.

I've always loved having a "White Rabbit" to chase after...gives you someone to follow, and a clear challenge to rise to.  Following this guy was glorious; he was fast, but I was just quick enough to hang close for about two minutes, until my heart damn near exploded, and I ran out of juice.

The thing that was so amazing, having that stronger person to follow forced me to ride faster than I have in ages, and remember just why it was I love mountain biking.  It was breath-taking, I stopped thinking about any of the obstacles or difficulties, and focusing on hanging as close as possible.  When you follow a stronger rider you ride MUCH stronger, and the thing you fight for is to not lose him.

The thing that sucked? I didn't have the endurance I needed to keep up with him. I think that all of this is like following God, when we're following after him we see past ourselves and it's glorious. However, when we follow without proper training, discipline, and preparation, we'll ultimately fail to keep the pace.

It's just like Paul calls out in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, "Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified."

It's amazing to follow the rabbit for a bit, but you don't grow only by following them.  In following them, you learn the ways in which you must grow to be more like them.  What you do with that is what matters most, not the moment in the sun.