Time Slows Down

Yesterday afternoon, Grogan (my best friend since kindergarten) and I went to Land Between the Lakes to ride mountain bikes...and once again I ate some dirt. For those of you who have been in wrecks before, time seems to slow down before you hit the ground. You know what's coming, and there's nothing you can do to stop it...but there's this Matrix-like moment where a split-second becomes an almost eternity. It's like Shark Week on the Discovery Channel where they film those great white sharks breaching the surface as they go after a seal decoy. What, to the human eye, lasts for only a second...is slowed down to a crazy 2000 frames per second, so that every drop of water is seen in vivid detail.

I don't like wrecks, and I especially don't like the sore feeling I'm experiencing today, but I do like the fact that you can learn lessons from anything. Moral of the story for me: It's always nice to have friends that'll go get the truck and pick you up after you plaster your face on a trail. Thanks, Grog.

A Calendar Day: Best Wreck Yet

Today is a calendar day: "my best mountain bike wreck yet" day. It was awful! I came flying down a hill (trying to catch up with some guys I was riding with), clipped a root with my right pedal which launched me off the bike. My head plowed a circular indention into the edge of the trail, as a rock dented the side of my helmet. There were the regular scrapes on the arms and legs...trickles of blood mixed with sweat and grit. It was great (once I figured out nothing was broken and I could still walk...even though I was dizzy as all get out for a few seconds)!

I can assure you that if I had not been wearing a helmet...I would not be writing this blog right now. The dent that was put into that small piece of safety equipment on the top of my head...would've been crushed into my skull. Doubtful I would have been in the mood (or shape) to type this if not for that helmet.

In Ephesians 6:10-17, Paul gives this description of the spiritual armor of God that a Christian should wear at all times: the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, etc. However, there is a helmet we are to wear while battling through this life...the helmet of salvation. This is a vital piece of spiritual safety gear! This is what wraps around our mind, gives us hope, gives us peace! If we don't continually wear the confidence of Christ's salvation around our spiritual heads...the Devil has a clear shot at our spiritual skulls!

If you're going to last on the trails of this life...if you want to survive the falls and wrecks that WILL come...you better wear a helmet!