71 Days. That's how long it's been since we arrived at Midland Beach on Staten Island. Since then, life has returned to "normal" and I'm back to the grind of 5-day work weeks, sleeping in my own bed, and seeing all my old friends. Life is good. Just in a different sort of way than it was this summer.
I was asked to share the story of my summer at church tonight. Ten weeks after finishing, I thought I would have processed my thoughts and experiences more than I have. I could blame it on work, but the simple fact is I had no incentive to put to rest the fantastic experience that was Sea to Sea 2013. Being asked to speak tonight forced this time of retrospection and compilation of my closing thoughts.
Work has been extremely busy, and has occupied much of my time and energy since Labour Day. As expected, my company picked up a lot of work doing flood-repair jobs in Calgary. When I left in June, we had 28 electricians working in the field. When I returned, we were up to 48 field staff, and are still maintaining that number. Because of this influx of work, and because I wasn't around to push its importance, my projects were put on the back burner, and when I returned to the office I found myself two months behind with deadlines that hadn't changed.
In some ways it's good to have this busy-ness to throw myself head-long into. But at the same time, being so busy makes me long for the carefree days of riding my bike day in and day out. It was an incredible blessing to have my only responsibilities be to wake up in the morning, pack up camp and ride my bike. It was as though I was a kid again, with parents looking after my food and shelter needs.
This summer wasn't all roses and lollipops, either. I remember tough days riding in the rain - out of Colorado Springs, and Imlay City - wanting only to find a cozy living room with a roaring fire and hot chocolate to warm my freezing bones. But there was heat, too! 45C days in California and Arizona, leaving camp at the crack of dawn to beat the heat wasn't the easiest of days, either. And the constant soreness in the legs after weeks on the bike. There were conflicts with other riders, and differences to be resolved in camp. There were grudges held about breakfast being too early, and noisy neighbors. There was the constant presence of people. And lineups for bathrooms and showers and food.
But that is community. There's tough, dark sides to living with people, but there are blessings, too. I remember having my tent set up when I arrived at camp after one particularly tough day on the road. Loads of laughter. Ice cream cake. More Euchre than one could ever think possible. Company while hanging out in laundromats. Even more laughter. Food. Bowling. Amber beer. #Eleveloing. The quest to find "Breaking Away" (which I found my first day back in Calgary!). So many good memories...
Without a doubt, the people made Sea to Sea the amazing experience it was.
So, was Sea to Sea a success? I was asked this question after the service tonight, and the conclusion from the discussion that followed is undoubtedly yes. The financial goal might not have been reached and the number of riders wasn't as high as expected, but hundreds of people we met on the streets across the continent were given a glimpse into the compassion and caring of the church. They saw in each rider the commitment of average people to this crazy notion that life on earth isn't about us. It's not about money, or diamonds, or high-falooting positions at work. We were commissioned by Jesus Christ to go out and be the hands and feet of God Himself, helping those who cannot help themselves. We are to seek out the poor and the destitute and the lost, and help restore their dignity.
Riding with the Sea to Sea this summer was more than an adventure; it was an opportunity to give people a glimpse of a Christian's way of seeing the world, a chance to make a statement about the importance of this way of thinking, and a means to raise money to provide tangible help to people who need the assistance of God's hands here on earth.
I would like to thank everybody who supported me in this dream, and who supported the Sea to Sea organization in their efforts to end the cycle of poverty. Your contributions and encouragements were essential to the success of this summer's adventure, and were incredibly uplifting to me as I rode.
I would also ask for your continued prayers for the partner organizations, and World Renew in particular, as they have been coordinating volunteer efforts close to my home - in the flood remediation in High River.
Am I done cycling? Never! I've been on the bike at least a dozen times since returning home, took part in the Tour of Alberta Challenge (finishing 15th overall!), and just bought a new full carbon bike with the intent of doing more races next year. I've also joined a power-based spin class here in Calgary to keep me going through the winter, and have been talking up the idea of Friday night movie & spin sessions in a garage or basement with a number of friends here. I probably won't ever log near as many hours on the bike as I did this summer, but the urge to spin is still there.
So, with those final thoughts, I'll close this awesome adventure, and put an end to this blog. Thanks for rolling with me.
