image from wikipedia
Mick and I left the rest of the riders in Sisters Oregon and headed home. Mt. Shasta provided a motel room, then we rode together the next morning until he split off to Susanville, to return the bike he borrowed from his son-in-law. I headed to Placerville as the starting point to cruise along Hwy 49, through the Gold Rush towns scattered along the Sierra foothills. Windy roads, finding Mark Twain’s cabin (above pic), and exploring the funky towns made it delightful, but a long day of riding. To make the last leg easier, I planned on riding until I found a motel in Fresno, then flying the 240 miles home on the next day..
Understand, I love riding. I mean, I REALLY love riding. Sometimes a ride is a journey, like the earlier part of the trip. You take journeys slow enough to enjoy the countryside but fast enough to enjoy the bike. But other times it’s a destination. Get there as soon as you can without killing yourself or getting ticketed. At Fresno, the trip transitioned to a destination. Fresno to my then home in Thousand Oaks won’t rate high on any list of scenic journeys, so eagerness to finish took over.
A 6:15 breakfast got delayed by a tour group with 2 buses of senior citizens already in line! At 7:15 I hit the freeway, where I soon found my speed increased, but JUST to keep up with traffic. Honest! Gorman provided a gas stop where I made a few calls over a cup of coffee, and arrived at home by 11 AM, after covering the 240 miles on that last leg. Destination reached. OK, I rushed it a bit. But that last leg was truly a destination ride.
Let’s get spiritual, because I can see the last leg of my life. On this run, I was 67, now 10 years deeper into my last legs. Just in the last year some health issues have arisen, none terminal, but I think more about these things.
Some of you can see your last leg; some can’t even imagine it yet. But thinking about how we want to finish allows us to craft a journey that will reach our destination. Avoid the plans and we minimize our chances of a successful arrival. Honestly, I wish I’d thought of these concepts earlier, when just getting through consumed my thoughts and energy and resources. I could have invested in other options; I could have changed some behaviors and activities. Part of this last leg would have been easier to navigate.
Fit God into your agenda, that improves the chance of a good arrival. One caveat though, he likes our planning, but he does sometimes interrupt our agendas: “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).
Kick Starting the Application
Regardless of your age, have you done much thinking about the last leg of your journey? What role has God played in that? What changes can you make that will benefit that last leg? Not just in regard to heaven, but where would you like your life to end up spiritually? Are you on that track? How can you craft a better map?