Life Lessons on Two Wheels (Part Ten) "Sometimes We Need to Do More Than Slow Down...We Need to STOP!!
In the small town where I live, a weekly bike night is hosted at the local bowling alley.
Over 100 motorcycles roll in every week, (in a town of under two thousand, that's impressive) they line the parking lot, fire up the BBQ and riders chat and share stories. I did walk over to check out the event once, and it was cool to see the variety of bikes on display, not to mention the variety of riders.
But I have to be honest, I don't get the point of "bike night" especially a weekly one. Port Dover on a Friday the 13th, sure. But parking my bike for 3 hours to make small talk with other riders seems painful to this introvert, and a waste of time.
I want to ride! Not sit around talking about riding.
By all accounts I do ride a lot; more than most I hear. In part, because Kathy and I intentionally plan time to be together on the bike. We usually determine a destination, pack a lunch and head out for a couple of hours or the day.
And while we do like to ride...a lot, we do enjoy visiting other small towns, to walk, stretch our legs, visit a cafe or see new sights.
As much as we love riding, we also interrupt our ride with occasional stops.
So maybe that's the point.
Maybe the stops help make the ride more enjoyable?
Maybe the stops make riding longer, possible?
Maybe the stops are more important than I first thought?
Maybe not for 3 hours on a beautiful evening sitting in a parking lot, but stopping might be an important part of riding after all.
Stopping might be an important part of life.
In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the idea of stopping is so important it's part of the 10 commandments..."Remember the Sabbath (rest) and to keep it holy"
Growing up in a Christian home, Sunday meant going to church, and doing little else, including no TV unless it was Laurence Welk.
However you define it, and I think there is a lot of freedom here, maybe stopping, even for a moment is more important than I first thought.
Maybe we need to learn what it means to stop, because in our current culture, stopping is a lost art.
Do you hit the ground running every day, pushing through the daily grind to finally crash at night?
STOP!
Do you stay up too late, and not get the sleep you need?
STOP!
Do you work through the weekend?
STOP!
Do you neglect your family and friends because "you're too busy"?
STOP!
If you wait until your work is done before you rest, you will never rest. Because your work is never really done.
The Sabbath isn't for when your work is done. But it may be the best way to accomplish all God has for you to do.
Just like our pit stops on the bike provide time for a stretch or refreshments, stopping, taking a break from our daily routines is critical.
In fact I would suggest, that we can go farther on the bike because we stop; and you and I can go farther, be more productive, find more meaning and purpose, and engage our closest relationships because we stop from time to time.
How Do You Stop?
I try to incorporate stopping into my day in big and small ways.
I start my day with a workout and quiet time. I try to pause, be quiet, listen and pray.
This summer I built a pond that I thought was mostly for my grandson...and now he walks over to visit the fish and frogs as soon as he arrives. But after I pour my second morning coffee I head outside to do the same. I pause, while I listen to the waterfall, count the ever-growing number of frogs and watch the fish.
I walk around our property and dead-head our day-lilies.
Sunday we attend church and usually rest a little more than other days. I don't cut the grass or schedule any appointments.
Even when riding the motorcycle, I stop from time to time. I watch my cows not far from here. I take a break. I breathe.
I think stopping, whether observing the Sabbath or in other ways, serves to remind me that the urgency of life is man-made.
We don't rest after our work is finished.
We rest so we can continue to do the work God has called us to.
So do you stop? I mean really stop, long enough to rest, your body, mind and soul?
No, even with my new Goldwing I haven't gone to "bike night". But stopping is still a critical habit I try to build into my daily life; and I encourage you to do the same.
If you're feeling stuck, let's talk!