there might only be one thing on this island that i love. now i am of course trying to love Jesus and people and all that, but as far as objects or things to do... i love one thing. i love riding my bike here. im still out of shape and im sure i look like a dork trying to pedal uphills or beat my time, but i really like riding around. i don't have a favorite restaraunt, i don't have a favorite spot to think, i don't have close friends yet, but i have my bicycle...
and now that one thing is wrecked.
i had a bike wreck. the bike is injured. my knee is still bleeding 20 hourse later. my ego is shot. the one thing i love is broken. i know im dramatic, but this was a dramatic event.
i was riding in the rain, which i know is stupid, but i hadn't gotten to ride in 3 days because we are in the middle of rainy season. so i took the bike out after a great day. i was riding in the shoulder going down a hill when i hit the edge of a serious bump and the bike hit the ground. and since my feet are clipped into the pedals, i joined the bike on the pavement. i was only going about 25, but i slid a long way. i did all i could not to slide into the lane beside me, but a guy still had to swerve to make sure he didn't run over me. i cussed. i laid there on the white lane line and started a "cynical bruised ego laugh" and noticed a truck pulled off the road beside me.
the guy who swerved out of the lane so as not to hurt me worse had stopped. "are you okay man? that looked terrible!" was yelled out of his window as i started standing up. i told him i was okay but that my bike looked beat up and he offered to give me a ride back home. i told him thanks about 20 times and tried really hard not to get blood on his truck. he told me the story of how i looked crashing 3 or 4 times and of course it got worse everytime. he was good at telling the story and made me laugh out loud. it was so nice of him to stop. it made me think about the parable of the good samaritan and the question posed to Jesus, "who is my neighbor?" Jesus flipped the question around and redifines the guy's veiw of neighbor. rather than tell the man who his neighbors are, he tells him how a neighbor acts. he seems to tell the guy to BE a neighbor. jesus turns the question on its head and doesn't give a minimum to the man, rather, he gives a new way... going the extra mile for anyone, even an enemy.
this story has been bouncing around in my brain since john dropped me off and told me he hoped we would never meet under the same circumstances. he reminded me how to be a neighbor and how to place someone elses needs before my own. my legs may be bandaged a little and my bike in the shop, but i met a man who understands how to be a neighbor.
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4 comments:
b. simp said...
i have been laughing about this story ever since you told me...and it was even more funny this time! now, i really enjoyed this sentence: "i know i am dramatic, but this was a dramatic event." I seriously laughed out loud when i read this. As well as you joining your bike on the pavement. wow, wow! that's funny!
I sure am glad that guy didn't run you over, and that he stopped. but even more so, im glad the lord is revealing himself to you in ways such as this! that is exciting!
i love ya man. i really enjoyed talking to ya tonight (morning for you).
Did you get the bike fixed and your leg? Not to minimize the accident but its your only love on the island and I want it to be ok cause you are the most important thing to me on that island and I want you to enjoy yourself P.S. Come live in Austin, Austin.
the bike is now fixed. i will reunite with it tomorrow morning on a ride... we will discuss our differences and apologize to each other so as not to give the devil a foothold.
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