Recollecting and Reflecting

• I asked for prayers for safety for all the cyclists. No one was badly injured.
• I asked for prayers for no rain. There was not a drop of rain on any riding or resting day during our 58-day journey.
• I asked for prayers for no head winds. There were significant head winds and cross winds, but they didn't last too long; and they taught us to pedal stronger and trust God for perseverance to ride through them.
• I asked for prayers for no flat tires. There were any number of flat tires among the 16 cyclists and 2 guides. I had 3 and they were all in the parking lot - a convenient time and place to change them.

God’s grace never failed me. He was on time, in time, all the time. The epic bicycle trip from coast to coast, from San Diego to St. Augustine, was akin to two months in a prayer closet! My appreciation for the companionship, devotional and prayer time, and help with tedious tasks provided by my treasured friend, riding companion, and roommate, Marge, grew to dimensions that remain indescribable. Our minds were emptied so we could fully receive; our senses were quickened so we could relish the sweet and tantalizing aromas of the early morning —fresh desert air, manure on the crops, piney woods in East Texas, magnolias, jasmine, and honeysuckle in the South; rejoice in the beauty of every sunrise and swoon over every sunset. We descended into canyons and climbed demanding ascents; we marveled at vast desert vistas, endured bone chilling cold mornings and enervating Southern afternoons; we enjoyed excitement and stood down exhaustion. We saw helpfulness and hospitality in all 8 states; and we savored solitude and spirituality during every day. We experienced encouragement and affirmation from guides and fellow cyclists alike. We learned the importance of gratitude for something as small as a patch of shade from an overhanging branch to cool us when the temperatures soared, for a good shower in a motel room that was old and grubby, for the use of another’s cell phone when our provider’s service failed, for help with the dinner dishes from a pair who could have been resting in their rooms after an arduous day of cycling. We were welcomed by a Methodist congregation in Crawfordville, Fl for Easter Sunday worship and brunch. We formed friendships that will last a lifetime and made memories that will never fade. By every measure the trip was an enormous success. We all completed it. We all loved it and became stronger and more competent than we ever imagined we would be. Thanks to contributions from so many of you, my Cycling for Scholarships initiative has now brought in $213,513.00 and donations are still being made. I miss the simplicity of the road as much as I adore being in my own bed and close to my beloved Jack. I long for the challenge of every riding day as much as I delight in the slower pace of home. A bicycle trip across America is a marvelous metaphor for life. I learned that there is nothing in the world ahead of me that I can't handle - as long as I acknowledge God's sovereignty in it and the dozens of people required to go through it. This I know for certain: there is no such thing as self-sufficiency! Please be assured of my thankfulness for all of you who invested yourselves with prayers, checks and on-line contributions, calls and cards. You were crucial to the completion of a grand and glorious endeavor. I can't wait to see each of you very soon. In HIS service and care, Katherine