I am finally back into the routine of riding my bicycle again. I have been riding regularly for a number of years but somehow did not get started after I moved to Ohio in March. Knowing that we were going to have a church bike ride on Sunday, August 16, gave me the motivation I needed to get my bike out of the basement and begin riding. I did not want to be totally embarrassed by getting pooped out on the ride and show my parishioners how out of shape I really was. With some trepidation, on Thursday before the ride, I started riding and even though it was quite hot, I found out again that I enjoyed biking and had greatly missed my time alone on the road. With my preparation rides on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I felt pretty good on the 26 miles along the Slippery Elm Trail. Now the goal is to keep riding. I have already had two rides this week and look forward to some longer rides this week-end.
The physical benefits of riding are numerous and obvious but it is easy for me to forget that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19) and I need to take care of it. It is easy for me to think that I have more important “spiritual” things to do than regularly getting out on my bicycle and getting the physical exercise that I need to stay healthy. I have just finished reading again Richard Foster’s classic book, Celebration of Discipline. It seems to me that a chapter needs to be added on the discipline of keeping fit. I find that my spiritual life , emotional life and physical well being are all interconnected. When I am too sedentary, my spiritual life suffers. I need the regular discipline of physical activity as much as I need Bible study, meditation and prayer. I also find that when riding, I get ideas for things I am working on, and often it is easy to spend time in prayer while I am riding. I am finding some beautiful parts of our Creator’s handiwork right here in Putman and Hancock counties which elicit praise. Sometime my mind just rests as I pedal along which is also a benefit.
Pray that I can now continue to be disciplined in this important area of physical activity while I take seriously that indeed my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.
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