June 27, 2008

It's Friday morning, June 27. Tonight at 1:00am I leave for Seattle for the Sea to Sea adventure of a lifetime. I'll be joining up with two other cyclists from St. Thomas, Peter VanNoord and Andy deVries and together we'll be taking the Robert Q (airport bus) to Detroit, making a stop in Chatham to pick up three other cyclists (Cynthia Aukema and Paul and Teresa Hoekstra). We should be arriving in Detroit at 5:30am. The flight to Seattle leaves just after 8:00am so that should give us time to check in and have a bite to eat, not to mention a little snooze.
I am feeling excited. This will be a "journey of a lifetime." I have never done anything like this before. I'll be see a lot of God's creation as we journey across the continent and making a lot of new friends. In the process, I'll have had the privilege of participating in a cause that is dear to my heart, world poverty. Fund raising has gone so well for me. Individuals and businesses have responed so generously not only with words of encouragement but also with their pocketbooks, so much so that I have been able to raise almost three and a half times the $10,000 mark set by the organizating committee. God has been so good.
I am also a little bit anxious about the trip as I still have a number of small things to get together. I sure hope I don't forget anything, especially my passport. I am feeling a bit anxious about leaving my family behind for nine weeks. I am feeling a bit anxious just because of the upcoming trip. There will be so many firsts to experience. Will I be ready physically? What will we face: the traffic, the mountains, the storms, the heat. And yet, deep inside there is a certain calmness. God is with me. The words of Psalm 121 come to mind here. "I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
With a God like that by my side, I know it will be O.K. no matter what.