Pedal Day 29 - Directions.

"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold."

-Helen Keller, texted to me by Ericka Warren

"We aren't useful when we think small."

-John Maxwell, emailed to me by Reg Gattie

"The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what it is one's destiny to do, and then do it."

-Henry Ford, emailed to me by Billy Ricketts

"The Shettel Shuttle Across America Coast to Coast in 2009." That's what's on the t-shirt! Doug and Paula Canup gave Jonathan and me these t-shirts but we haven't worn them yet. We have a reason however, we are saving them for Bar Harbor. On the last day we will wear our "Shuttle" t-shirts as we pedal to the Atlantic Ocean, dip our front tire, load our bikes, and head to Georgia! So to Doug and Paula we say thanks and we haven't forgotten those special gifts!

Stillwater, Minnesota is home for the evening. We only had to pedal 50.69 miles today through rolling hills along the Saint Croix River. Margaret and the crew went to the Como Park and Zoo in Minneapolis while we pedaled. They met us in downtown Stillwater at a river park. It was fun to hear "Papabur, Papabur" as we pedaled into the park area. Carey, our younger dughter, and her crew are headed home now and will take time tomorrow to visit House On The Rock near Spring Green, Wisconsin. Talk about some tired kids! Carey called about twenty minutes after they left here and told Sarah that Drew and Maddie were already asleep. Carey certainly deserves awards for patience and going above and beyond the call of motherhood! She would also qualify for sainthood! Pray for them as they travel back to Georgia.

At lunch time Jonathan and I stopped at Shafer-Saloon Pizza Grill in Shafer! While eating and looking at the maps Jonathan and I decided to do some rerouting because some of our routes go way out of the way. Why? We don't know but they do. Unlike most men, I am a direction asker. After speaking with a man at the grill I asked him about our proposed route change. He came to our table and ate lunch with us and we got lots of good information and directions about even another route. We were to ride about 58 miles today but the information we received saved us almost eight miles. We talked about the cross-country ride, his children and some of their riding, and about Shafer where he grew up. When we were about to depart I gave him one of our bike ride cards and he gave me one of his business cards. His name is Lee J. Turner and he's the postmaster at the Post Office in Shafer. We need to do more lunches with postmasters because we sure got good directions from Lee. We are thankful that the Lord brought him across our path today.

By the way, The Shafer-Saloon Pizza Grill has great burgers and is a neat little place to eat and hang out. If you're ever pedaling or driving through Shafer, make it a stop for lunch.

Coming into Stillwater we pedaled onto an overlook. The signs nearby warned of "Sheer Cliffs." At the overlook we met Richard and Janet Miller from Whiteland, Indiana, south of Indianapolis. We probably talked with them for about thirty minutes. We talked about mission trips, witnessing, Liberty University, Bible study, and life in general. Both are believers and have a real desire to serve the Lord wherever they are. Right now they are headed to northern Minnesota for some time away. After we talked, we prayed for their daughter who will be leaving June 11th on a mission trip to Africa, shook hands, and headed south.

We are looking at our maps closely now since we want to make up some of our time lost to mountains, snow, sleet, and wind. We may not make it all up but we can do some. We know we can skip riding in Iowa by crossing Wisconsin in a southeasterly direction and hooking up with the Adventure Cycling route again in Illinois. That may save us a day, maybe two, we don't know. We are still going to enjoy the country, take lots of photos, and do as many miles as possible each day. Hopefully, in a few days, we can give you an updated itinerary.

Directions are important as we travel. One of my favorite quotes is, "Any road will get you there if you don't now where you're going!" We know where we're going but we also know there are many ways we could travel. We want the best route we can possibly find. We're looking for the safest and most-direct route. 

Directions are important in life too. "Lead me in the right path, O Lord, or my enemies will conquer me. Tell me clearly what to do, and show me which way to turn" (Psalm 5:8). I want the right path as I pedal and as I walk through life every day. Why? Because the enemies of fear, failure, anger, impatience, bitterness, weakness, and a host of others wait around every corner waiting to conquer me or at least knock me off the path for a while. How do I avoid those enemies? By studying through the pages of God's Directions!  

The road maps we have are detailed and show us how to effectively get from point A to point B. We look at them, study them, connect the dots, and pedal. God's Map is detailed and show us how to get from day to day every day. All we have to do is ask for directions, study, apply, and walk. Life navigation doesn't get any better than this. 

Your Life GPS, the Bible. Don't leave home without it!