Lately, I have been riding my bike around the city to get to the places I need to go to save myself some money since gas cost so much these days. It has been nice, and for the most part I enjoy it but there are a few negative drawbacks to riding your bike. Like being sweaty whenever I get there, people being jerks and honking at me, or not moving over and feeling their mirrors brush by like they are grazing the side of me. But overall, it is fun and I have enjoyed getting a lit bit of extra exercise and seeing the scenery around me. Its amazing how much I have noticed that I haven’t noticed, just because I have no choice but to go slower and there is more time for seeing my way around.
The other day, I was on my way back from Barnes and Noble, and for some reason, I specifically remember riding by a plot of land that was for sale, but the only thing there were trees and tall grass, but for some reason all I saw was beauty. To me, it was amazing to see all the different shades of green acting together to portray this bright scene of just simple beauty as I rode by. Maybe it is because I live in the middle of the city, or whatever, but I really loved the different green colors and the sun shining brightly through the trees. It was simply amazing.
Last Saturday night, I drove over to Liberty mountain, to do a sunset hike and take some time to sit on top of the mountain and read the story of Jesus death and defeat of sin for us. So I put on my Camelbak, packed my head lamp and headed for the top. I hadn’t really run since the marathon, so I figured I would run to the top, and it felt good to run again. It was about a 2 mile jog up to the top, and I got there a little early, so I just sat there and read and prayed that God would help me to understand the impact of what the next day represented. While I was sitting there, reading, I looked up and realized I couldn’t see the sun, and that all I could see were the trees on the mountain in front of me. I was like, “what the heck? Whats the deal?” But then I remembered that the only time I had seen the sun from this spot was for the sunrise…not one of the smartest moments of my life. So instead of seeing a sunset, I got to watch trees, until it got dark… But it ended up being a peaceful moment, as the wind was blowing and I just sat there and watched the trees sway back and forth in the breeze, taking advantage of a quiet moment I don’t usually allow myself to have. I sat up there and read until it got dark and cold. Once it got dark, I put on my headlamp and decided to try something I have never done before, night trail running. I almost died a few times, and it always made me a little nervous when I would here a sudden ruffle of the trees and brush behind me as I slowly passed by. The crazy thing about night running is that everything seems to go by you faster than normal because its dark. Being by myself and a little immature, I made some race car noises on my way down the mountain…it was fun though, so there!
Another beautiful scene in my last week had to be a couple nights ago when Pete and I were camping out as normal. But since the weather is warming up, there are now thunderstorms, which happen to be my favorite. That night, there was a thunderstorm, and it was just amazing to lay there and see the sky light up and the boom of thunder that follows shortly afterward. I laid there and just watched the storm for a while. I also looked over as it was raining, Pete was asleep laying on his back. As he was sleeping the rain was hitting him in the face, and I thought for sure it would wake him up, but he slept right through it all. I laughed to myself and just went back to watching the storm and thought about all the different scenes I had seen recently, and all the beauty they held. I thought about how God created this world for our enjoyment, so we may see the beauty and bring the glory back to Him for it. I thought about a thunderstorm, something that seems to be so big and can be scary, was designed by our Creator and that we find beauty in things that seem to be way bigger than we are. It just blew my mind that God would create something so big for people, who are so small, to enjoy.
God then took my mind and began to make me think that if God created thunderstorms, forests, rivers, rain, and all this nature for us to enjoy and see Him, how much people meant to him. I thought about if God gave all this for all people to enjoy, how much every person meant to him. I thought about how I interact with people I don’t like and why I would treat someone I don’t like badly when God created them, and gave them this world to enjoy too. I thought back to high school, when I got in a fight with a kid in gym class, just simply because I didn’t like him. I thought about a quote I read a while back that said, “You know you’ve created God in your own image when He hates all the same people you do.” I’m not sure I understood exactly what it meant, but I just realized that God loves and wants all people to be saved, so how is it right for me to swing at a kid, or treat someone badly just because I didn’t like them, or they didn’t like me. And its not even just for people we don’t like. It for our friends and family, whom we love, but often times I put my own desires or dont pay attention to what they are saying while they are talking because I am too busy paying attention to the monkey smashing cymbals in my head(simpsons scene).
One verse that has been rocking my world recently is 2 Corinthians 5:21 which says, “God created him who had no sin TO BE SIN for EVERYONE, so that we might become the righteousness of God.” Wow. I still cant fathom all the implications of this verse. But God creating His Son, who was perfect, to become sin for me, for people I don’t like, and for the whole world… I just cant begin to understand it.
Another revolutionary idea that Ryan, a silly friend of mine, whom I always give a hard time because I love him(thats for you Ryan), told me. I had never heard it before, but he told me that if you really want a good way to see how much we actually love people is to take 1 Corinthians 13 and wherever it says “Love”, put your name in there and see how many of those qualities you possess: Evan is patient, Evan is kind…and so on. I didn’t get too far. It was a humbling test to put myself through, and see how much I don’t even treat people close to me like I should.
With my trip coming up, I am so glad God is beginning to help me see a little bit of what loving people look like. Preparing me to try to put my own thoughts aside that I may see the heart and needs of others so they might have eternal life, which is “that they know You, the only True God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” Its a lot to think about while riding a bicycle in a crowded city, but I am glad God is beginning to teach me.
