Spring may not technically be here yet but it sure did feel like it today in Lynchburg! Sunny with a high of seventy degrees... ah yes. I probably should have spent my afternoon working on the paper that's due soon in my biblical archaeology class, but I just couldn't let the beauty of the day pass me by. So I threw my bike in the back of my Mountaineer, rolled down the windows and headed downtown for the trails.

  Genius me, should've checked my bike tires beforehand, but I didn't, so I got all the way to the trail only to realize my back tire's air pressure was super low.  I didn't have a way of pumping up my tire and I was really itching to ride, so I figured I'd just ride with a semi flat tire! Unfortunately though, the ride turned out to be pretty miserable. I felt like I was dragging weights and after only a few miles of riding on relatively level ground I was panting and ready for a break! I silently prayed, "Lord, this is no fun and I'm exhausted! Please give me the strength to get back to my car!” It might seem silly and even wimpy that I would pray that, but hey, when I am weak He is strong!

  I got to the mile marker where the path splits and I saw this woman on her bike stopped at the branch between the merging points. Curiosity killed the cat and I wanted to know where the path she had just come from led to and how far it went on, so I stopped to ask her (maybe it was more of an excuse to catch my breath).  She was incredibly kind and offered to ride down the path with me and show me the cool town it led to, but I told her I didn't think I could make it much farther because of my flat tire. With one look at my back tire she agreed and then quickly proceeded to tell me that she had a pump in her car and she would help me get some air in my tire. So we rode a few miles back to the parking lot and talked as we went, which took my mind off of the burden it was to ride my weighty bike. I learned that her name was Bett and at 51 she rides a bike better than me!

  We got to her truck and she pumped up both of my tires for at least a full minute each and then sent me on my way. I was so grateful for her kindness and so excited to have what seemed like a brand new bike that I jumped back on and rode a few more miles... enjoyably!

  I guess what I found so cool about this pleasant encounter with Bett was that it showed me that the Lord even cares about the little things in life.  He provides for us in great ways and small ways alike. He is ever near and hears our cries for help and loves to take care of His children, sometimes in uncanny ways. Those little drops of sunshine throughout the day that show me God's love and grace are what make me smile and laugh and throw up my hands in praise!

 "He [God] who did not spare His own Son [Jesus] but gave Him up for us all- how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give is all things?" Romans 8:32