What gets in your way?

Sometimes there are obstacles in our way that can hinder our progress in achieving our goals. You have heard me mention a time or two that I set a cycling goal this year. I wanted to reach 500 miles from the time I could begin cycling in the spring until it became too cold in the fall.  Early on in the season I was on a roll.  I couldn't log my miles fast enough and each day I became more and more excited to get on the bike and ride.  "I will do this in a snap", I told myself.  I even thought about raising the goal to 600 miles because I thought that I would easily surpass the original one. At the end of July I was already at 400 miles and even though I would be gone for 3 weeks in August I was convinced that I would crush this goal.  Sounds a little overconfident doesn't it? 

Obstacle #1 Time

When we returned from our trips in August, I set up a time to ride with my friend Catherine and we set out on a fabulous ride that would give me 30 miles towards my goal. We trekked along and laughed together at how fortunate we were to have bike trails and agreed that since I hadn't rode in a while that today we would take it at a slower pace than normal.  At our halfway point we found ourselves at a beautiful park and decided to rest a bit and sit on a bridge. Catherine was ahead of me, leading us to the bridge. 

What happened next would be great if it was on video!

I was either distracted by the beauty surrounding us, or I was just distracted! I began to peddle and I ran straight into the back of Catherine's bike and fell off with a loud thud onto the pavement.  Honestly I don't remember how I fell, but I had a whopping bruise on my left thigh!  Ouch!  "How did my biking shorts not rip?" I moaned, as I lay sprawled out in the middle of the parking lot.  I told Catherine that I was fine, because isn't that what we do, when we don't want people to know how hurt we are?

Obstacle #2 Trying again when we fail.

I biked again after that day several times but everyday I had a reminder of the fall.  The bruise on my thigh was about the size of a cantaloupe melon and had swollen so that there was a large bump made up of various shades of purple. Constantly I thought about the fall and wondered if it would happen again.

Obstacle #3 Leaving the past behind

Today I am 13 miles short of reaching the goal of 500 miles. Tomorrow will be the victory day of accomplishing this goal. I praise God that He has given me a good friend to cheer me on and an amazing husband that has helped me to see past the obstacles and look at the end goal.


I believe that as Christians we are always striving to press on towards the goal.

Philippians 3:13-14, "Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus."

What has kept you from from pressing on towards the goal?

Time

Failures

Past experiences?

Maybe today you are thinking that you just can't achieve it. 

Know that all things are possible when you trust in Christ.

Father, Forgive us for letting obstacles come in the way of pressing forward. Give us a new and clearer vision of what You have called us to do in your name and for your kingdom.

I love you.  Jann