How to Face a Storm When You Made a Stupid Choice
How to Face a Storm When You Made a Stupid Choice
Impromptu camping and biking somewhere in Wyoming
“Well, God, thank You for the storm and for the perseverance and endurance that is being developed in me.” I prayed as I biked back to my car in Saratoga, Wyoming just a day after finding myself camping in Medicine Bow-Routt National Park.
I had tried to race the storm, but the storm beat me.
I have a goal of 1,500 miles on the road bike this year and 50,000 feet in elevation gain. With any goal you strive to meet, you will eventually encounter storms. You can either try to wait them out or boldly ride through them.
I had seen the massive storm coming across the plains and there was no waiting this one out, like I’d done a couple of weeks ago under a sweet gum tree in Poudre Canyon.
This storm looked like it had no end, but it sure did have a potentially dangerous middle.
I only needed 17 more miles on this ride to get me up to 900. So of course I pushed for 20…then 21 even though I saw the storm brewing. There hadn’t even been a hint of a storm when I started the ride.
I reluctantly turned around to head back when I reached 10.5 miles because I saw this…
“Let’s see if I can beat it.” I thought, knowing I probably couldn’t.
The big, black, ominous cloud to the west had touched down and looked like it could easily send a tornado my way, if it was so inclined. I hadn’t realized how strong the wind behind me had been on the first leg of my journey, which was kind of stupid and, in reality, vain. I’d been traveling around 20-25mph uphill. Of course I’m not that fast. I was very mistakenly kind of impressed with myself.
When I changed directions…I was not so impressed.
10-15mph going downhill is pretty sad, but oh how the wind was taunting me. It tricked me into believing I could beat the storm by pushing me so fast on the way out.
The darkness of the ominous impending storm kept getting closer and closer and I felt the first drop of rain with just 4.5 miles left to go to get to safety.
“Dear Lord, thank You for the storm! I hope you either push me past it or ride with me through it.”
He chose to ride with me through it.
The wind had picked up and changed directions and was wildly blowing from the west. I was traveling south and would have to lean into it to keep from being blown into the highway and in front of traffic.
This was more intimidating than any amount of rain and I had to go slow and steady to be able to stay on the shoulder and not have my head crushed by passing semis.
With 4 miles left to safely get to my car, the raindrops began to come down faster and harder. “It’s just 4 miles.” I thought as I began to repeat in my head, “Perseverance and endurance!”
For the next mile, the storm slowly increased in strength and power and I slowly pedaled through it, not wanting to go fast and give the wind the opportunity to knock me over. There were a few times I thought a gust was going to pick my bike and me up and carry me off. “Perseverance and endurance!”
I continued to thank Jesus for the challenge of the storm as the icy rain was pelting my skin. “Wait a minute! Icy? Pelting? What?” I wondered.
Yep! It was beginning to hail and I laughed as I realized I was getting pummeled by tiny ice pellets. “It’s just 3 miles. I can do this for 3 miles! Thank you, Jesus, for this new challenge and for continuing to build up my perseverance and endurance!”
I kept repeating to myself, “Perseverance and endurance” and noticed that, in the middle of what should have been a miserable experience of being cold and wet and in danger of being tossed into the highway at any moment by a gust of wind, I had a big, huge, goofy grin spread across my face. I seriously could not stop smiling! I was reveling in this mess!
The storm really was building up my levels of perseverance and endurance and I was thrilled to realize that fact as I noticed how red my skin was from the ice pelting and cold rain. I had never encountered hail on a bike ride and had never wanted to. This was a first and I was finding I was having fun pushing myself through the challenge…with the biggest, most uncontrollable grin on my face.
I could endure hail!
I was happy! In the middle of the storm, I was happy!
In focusing on what the storm, and the challenges I was facing would produce…perseverance and endurance…I had something to be excited about. I was growing. I was thankful. You can’t be miserable and thankful at the same time. You just can’t!
I could have focused on how awful it was being cold and wet, with numb fingers as ice BBs were hitting my bare skin. And several years ago, I probably would have. And that would have made miserable a reality.
But I have learned how to Thank God for the Crap in every situation and not only does it produce perseverance and endurance, but it produces joy. Real joy that no storm can take away.
I made it to my car just as the lightning began to strike all around me. Thank God He didn’t push me to persevere through, and endure that!
