Saturday, June 14, 2008

I'm Off!

From Rome:

Well so much for first day jitters. That's a thing of the past. The day started with a poor weather forecast.....storms rolling in from the west. Karen and I waited for an hour, and after prayerful consideration, the decision was made to go for it. So we loaded up the bike and headed for Smyrna, where the silver comet trail begins.

The Silver Comet trail is an amazing project which has converted old railroad tracks into bike trails. The scenery is quite lovely for the entire stretch between Smyrna and Rockmart, 38 miles one way.

I teamed up with a lovely couple, Rich and Martha, until mile 15. They were kind enough to let me ride with them. It certainly made that section go a lot faster. I have attached their picture on the trail.

Rich told me about a great stop in Rockmart called "Frankie's.". He didn't miss the mark. The food was AWESOME, but the best part was getting to know Frankie. Frankie moved to Rockmart after her husband unexpectedly died of a heart attack. Total life change.......She now runs this Italian Restaurant in quiet little town catering to cyclist coming off the trail......talk about a niche! Getting know her was the highlight of the day.

In her story is a God moment. God challenges us to do things outside of comfort zone. But sometimes it takes a real shake up for us to muster the courage. It is because when are comfortable, we care too much about the outcome. When we are broken, the world opens with possibilties that look better than where we are.

What if we lived everyday as if God offers unfathomable possibilties in our lives? Maybe the room of unfulfilled dreams might be a little less crowded......

Until tomorrow from Jasper.

Love to all,
g
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

1 comment:

Karen said...

Awesome, Buddy!! M and I can't wait to see you in Rome this afternoon.
We love you,
k