Pedal Day 45 - Soaked!

"It doesn't take much of a man to be a Christian. It just takes all that there is of him."

-Anonymous

"As we begin to talk to God and hear him speak to us, life may never be the same."

-Bruce Larson

"You cannot hide Christ if once He comes within. If the light is there, it simply must shine."

-G. Campbell Morgan

"Salvation is free but not cheap."

-Billy Graham

"He must increase but I must decrease."

-John 3:30

Rain, deluge, wet, immersed, saturated, swamped, flushed, torrents, whitewater, inundated, flooded, baptized, soaked, marinated, and anything else that has to do with a lot of wet! From 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Jonathan and I pedaled in the rain and a high of 58 degrees. We got soaked and somewhat chilly! But we still pedaled 74.64 miles and we're still on target for reaching the Atlantic next Saturday, June 27. The roads of New York, once again, provided good, wide shoulders for riding. This was even more appreciated since we were riding in rain.

We are now in Wolcott, New York, on the shores of Sodus Bay, Lake Ontario. We are at Bonnie Castle Farm Bed & Breakfast overlooking the bay. We just ate supper at Skipper Landing nearby. Very good.

The best meal of the day was at Gullace's Ice Cream & Cafe in Bloomfield. Pedaling in the rain, Jonathan and I were cold, hungry, and wet when we arrived. As we waited at the window to order we were told that Gullace's has an inside dining area in the back where it's warm and dry. That's where we went immediately! We both ordered burgers and agree that these were the best hamburgers we've had since the ride began. THE BEST! Not only were the burgers good but the service was super, everyone was very friendly, and I got the feeling that they really cared about us and the food they set before us. Fran, Hayley, Amanda, and Meagan . . . thanks. Your food can only be topped by your warmth, hospitality, friendliness, and attitude.

We are on a countdown now. If we stay on schedule we will arrive at the Atlantic Ocean next Saturday. Seven more days of pedaling. Googlemaps.com tells us we have approximately 469 miles to pedal. That averages out to about 67 miles a day. I'm getting kind of excited. I told Jonathan and Margaret at supper, "Lake Ontario is big but next Saturday we'll be next to a much larger body of water . . . the Atlantic Ocean."

One of the interesting things about today was the ride through Palmyra and Hill Cumorah. Both of these places are very important to Mormons. Much of the history of the beginnings of the Mormon faith and Joseph Smith, its founder, lie within these hills. A gold statue of the angel Moroni stands on the hill overlooking Route 21 where we pedaled. As I passed the Hill Cumorah I had feelings of sorrow for the followers of Joseph Smith. Most of them are sincere people but they are sincerely wrong.

The Book of Mormon says in 2 Nephi 25:23b, ". . . for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

The Bible in Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "God saved you by his special favor (grace) when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."

I am thankful for the gift of salvation. As Billy Graham said, "Salvation is free but not cheap." I know me better than anyone on the face of this earth. Only God knows me better than I. Both of us know that there is absolutely nothing I could ever do to earn salvation . . . nothing. I am a recipient of salvation only because it's a gift that Someone else purchased. If my free gift of salvation depended on all I can do I would be totally without hope. And . . . how would I know when I did all I could do? Me making it to heaven based on all I can do? Not a chance! None!

My only hope is in the Gift!