Beautiful Ride – I Want it. How do I get it?

Beautiful Ride

Now That’s a Beautiful Ride

Beautiful ride. Great concept. But life isn’t always beautiful. Sometimes life is harsh, filled with bumps in the road, sweat, hard work and crashes against the rough ground. And many times, we find ourselves traversing the roughest patches alone. And the ride through those times doesn’t seem so beautiful, does it?

I recently saw a post with a bicycle and the words “Life isn’t always beautiful, but it’s a beautiful ride.” Like Gary Allen’s song. Not sure I agree with the sentiment. Sometimes the ride isn’t beautiful. The crashes leave us bruised and bleeding. But we can have a beautiful ride.

Making life a beautiful ride requires something from us.

Relinquish the past and recover from it.

Too often people don’t fully let go of the past. They drag it around behind them, burdened and weighed down by it. And without intent, they wound people around them. Most of the time, we think we’ve let it go. We think we dealt with the junk. But have we really? Is something still tied to me that keeps me from embracing the here and now or moving into the future? Time for honesty—with yourself first. And if you aren’t sure, ask. Ask God. Ask people who know you well. And be willing to listen without getting angry. Often we don’t want to hear that we haven’t let go of something that wounded us. Because admitting it comes with the next steps. Forgiving and forgetting. We don’t like that so much.

Just as we choose to forgive, we choose to forget. It isn’t always easy. But isn’t a beautiful ride worth it?

Relish the present.

Do I wake up every morning ready to greet the day with a smile? Yeah right. I usually lay in bed thinking I don’t want to get up at all. I want to stay there and snooze for five more minutes. Fortunately, those feelings pass, and I get up and busy. But I can’t honestly say I always relish the moment. I want to be there.

Life circumstances can shroud the beautiful ride of today. In the bumpy road times and the days, weeks and months after them, relishing today isn’t always easy. I’m 57 years old, and life doesn’t look like I expected. Events of the past year have me down. So how do I get to the place of relishing this part of my personal ride? That’s just it. I have to realize I’m still riding, and while the storms cover my sunshine, it will return. It is well with me. And if I can embrace that, then I can start looking forward. When that happens, the present looks better. Then it is simply my journey on the way to the future.

And that I can relish.

Race forward into the richness of the destiny God planned for me from the beginning of time.

Now that’s a beautiful ride. As I give up all the past, embrace my present, and look forward to the future, I get a clear picture in my mind. I’m on that bicycle, arms spread wide, and head tilted back, eyes closed. The sun kisses my face while the wind plays with my hair. Free and filled with joy, my ride is beautiful.

How’s your ride today? Is it a beautiful ride? Yes? Then praise God, because He is good, and you know it. No? Why not? What keeps you from enjoying a beautiful ride in life? How may I pray for you?

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One Response to “Beautiful Ride – I Want it. How do I get it?”

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