“SLIPPING THE RESTRAINS OF BURDENS” – Sept. 16

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  “The Lord is my portion”, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.”  Lamentations 3:21-24

Craigslist facilitated the purchase of my dream bike, a Cervelo tri-bike, otherwise known as a time-trial bike.

I have had my eye on this bicycle since my decision to start training for a triathlon.  This is the style of bike that all the really serious triathletes ride.  This bike style is popular because drafting is not allowed in most triathlons.

Aside from a rider’s own mass, air is the greatest yoke of a cyclist.  I am always amazed at the effect of just a slight head-wind.  The smallest of breezes in your face can feel like a burden of pounds being added to your load.  There has been many an occasion where I turned a corner and was accosted by a bully of a head-wind that stole my speed as if it were lunch money.

The vanquishing of the head-wind bully is the promise of the Cervelo P2.

English: Simon Lessing in the bike portion of a triathlon. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cervelo has designed a bicycle with the primary purpose of slicing through air.  Every aspect of the bike is shaped to ease the grip of air as it flows around the frame.  However, the most effective design element is what the bike does to the rider.  A tri-bike puts the rider in the most aerodynamic of positions; bent over, elbows in, and pushed forward over the front wheel.

My Cervelo does its job very well.  I easily gained about 2 mph by riding my Cervelo rather than my road bike.  However, my experience has not been what I had expected.  I have watched triathletes ride their tri-bikes and they make it look so easy.  They seem to comfortably slice through the wind.

The first time I took my Cervelo out for a ride, I realized that going faster does not equate to comfort.  This bike is very aggressive and stiff.  While that is great for transferring energy from legs to wheels, it is also equally effective at transferring jolts and vibrations from asphalt to skull.  The only really comfortable position comes by acquiescing to the frame and staying bent down onto the aero-bars.  This keeps your head down and in the best position to efficiently slip the yoke of the wind but it is not comfortable.

Appreciating the scenery is not part of the tri-bike experience.  Leisurely pedaling through the country side is not why you would buy this type of bicycle.  I have found that easing my Cervelo onto the road is a good way to ruin a nice bike ride.

However, it is the perfect bike to cast off the burdens of riding.

I think that we all have a tendency to want a life that is the equivalent of a nice, leisurely, ride through the country side.  I often revert to a mentality that assumes that the Holy Spirit was given to me to make my ride through life more comfortable.  I have been stunned when the discomfort of life’s burdens have weighed me down and ground me to a halt.

It seems to me that the Holy Spirit is more like a tri-bike than a comfort bike.

Obedience to the Spirit forces us into positions that are the most effective at slipping the burdens of this world.  However, that does not mean that they are easy or comfortable.  The last thing we should do when yoked with the cares of this world is to sit up and seek our comfort.  Those are times that we need to lean into our Lord, feel the power that comes being on our knees, knowing every jolt and vibration are burdens passing by us, and trust the Spirit to carry us through.

We all have burdens of different kinds.  We can try to stand under the weight of such a yoke and be stunned that the Spirit would allow such a thing or we can acquiesce to the mindset of the Spirit and allow Him to carry us through it.

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for the gift of your Spirit.  Thank you for giving me all that I need to overcome the burdens of this world.  Help me to REMEMBER that my comfort does not come from this world.  Help me to TRUST You when I feel burdened and weighed down.  Help to to LEAN into You when all I want to do is pull away.  Lord, KEEP me in the position of obedience through all my days.  Your steadfast love never ceases; your mercies never come to an end; they are new to me every morning; great is your faithfulness.  Lord, you are my portion; I don’t need anything else, therefore I will HOPE in You alone.  I pray this in the precious name of your Son,  Jesus Christ.   Amen.