100,000 on a Stationary Bike

-

Although Monday is normally my day off, I found myself conducting a funeral service yesterday morning. We bid farewell to Elsie Richards, who passed away two days before her 80th.

A few days ago, her daughter, Joy, shared an amazing piece of trivia concerning her mother.

Through the years, Elsie had logged over 100,000 miles on her exercise bicycle! Now, that's quite an accomplishment.

Although hard to believe, it's true -- and maybe a world record!

It makes me wonder though. How many beautiful landscapes would she have seen if it had been a real bicycle rather a stationary one? With those same miles, she could have ridden to southern California and back 25 times!

All 100,000 were ridden in her bedroom, however, which leaves me with a deep sense of respect for such a display of self-discipline, and guilt about the cobwebbed exercise bike in our garage.

Comments

  1. Anonymous8:47 AM

    Treadmills, exercise bikes, stairsteppers, even dancing with brooms....all valuable ways to keep physically fit! I use my Nordic Track in the winter, so that when "the mind is willing" (and conditions are right), the flesh is NOT weak. During the repetitive motions of indoor exercise, one's mind is free to wander where it will...to pray, to meditate, to contemplate, to untangle messes. Who knows...if we could see those 100,000 miles, perhaps we'd find billboards instead of mile markers, all filled with Elsie's words of prayer and thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous11:37 AM

    Great insight, Naomi! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

If This Is Not A Place. . .

-
If this is not a place where tears are understood, Then where shall I go to cry? And if this is not a place where my spirit can take wings, Then where shall I go to fly? I don't need another place for trying to impress you With just how good and virtuous I am. I don't need another place for always being on top of things; Everybody knows that it's a sham. I don't need another place for always wearing smiles, Even when it's not the way I feel. I don't need another place to mouth the same old platitudes; Everybody knows that it's not real. So if this is not a place where my questions can be asked, Then where shall I go to seek? And if this is not a place where my heart cry can be heard, Where, tell me where, shall I go to speak? So if this is not a place where tears are understood, Where shall I go, where shall I go to fly? -- Ken Medema
Read more

Apostles and Earrings

-
Image
I wonder if this belonged to one of the apostles? Simon the Zealot strikes me as the kind of guy who would wear an earring. I recall the time, when I was graduating from seminary, I received an invitation to start a new congregation in a college town. In the letter, they outlined the vision, the demographics of the community, and their expectations for the pastor. The letter ended with a p.s. -- "and of course, your wife will not be permitted to wear earrings." They forgot say anything about ME wearing earrings. For a while, I was tempted to go ahead, take the position, and get my ear pierced.
Read more