spinning, cycling, falling...

I arrived totally looking the part. Spandex? Check! Water bottle? Check! Helmet? Check! Let's ride, he said with a sly smile indicating he knew something I didn't. The terrain was tough, the hills were scary, and quite honestly, my derriere ached because it felt like I was sitting on a brick. This is SO not like my Spin class, I called out as we peddled and panted up a hill.

I began spinning and became quite obsessed with stationary cycling about three years ago. Two years ago I found myself feigning for a better cycle workout, so when my friend Jelani asked me to go mountain biking with him, I totally thought I could hang. I mean, come on, I was spinning four times a week in an air-conditioned, dimly lit room while Michael Jackson medleys motivated me to push harder, faster, stronger. Mountain biking was going to be a piece of birthday cake!

He warned me of a steep drop on the trail and to let go of the bike, tuck and roll if I fell off at any point of the descent. No sooner did he say that I began to feel the wobble in the front wheel, the violent shake of the bike running over rocks at illegal speeds, and my back tire lifting off the trail with every pump of the break. I AM GOING TO DIE, was the only thought that crossed my mind. Release, tuck, roll, release, tuck, roll, I kept saying to myself. When I reached ungodly speeds, I tried to fall off the bike in a natural fashion but my feet were strapped in the stirrups. Of course. Release, tuck, roll? Heck no! I held on for dear life with every ounce of my being and squeezed the bike between my thighs. If the bike is going to flip, I'm going to bust out an Evel Knievel and flip with it! I made it down the hill and glared at Jelani as he smiled and said with disappointment, Awww, man! I thought you were going to fall.

Today in spin class, I thought of God's word. No matter what the world is shouting at us to do, sometimes we have to do the safest thing and hold on to what we know (Hebrews 10:23). How do we gauge morality?1 What is the rubric of Truth?2 What is the barometer of ethics?3 As Christians, our grid of knowledge and world view must come from God's inspired and infallible word. When Life is moving at warp speed, when you feel like you are falling, if fear is overtaking you, squeeze and hold onto God's word like your Life depends on it. Because it does.