by Jonathan Simpson, second-year rider
Have you ever gotten yourself into something you were just not prepared for? I find this as a common occurrence!
The year I started Biking for Babies, I remember a post of a poster that a friend of mine had put on Facebook, two years prior. I have never questioned why I remembered that post after two years, but there must have been some plan in the works for me at that time. It was late February, and I decided on the spot to apply, because why not? The why not ended up being that they were not taking applications anymore!–so I filled it out anyways and let God take control of it.
A week later, now March, I got a phone call from one of the founders of Biking for Babies, Mike. He went through his questions, making sure I was Pro-Life and that I would be able to speak to the mission. But then he got to the interesting part. How much do I bike? I had ordered a new bike, but what I had been riding on was a steel framed touring bike from the 1980’s. I guess that wasn’t quite what he was expecting. Nor the fact that the longest ride I had done was earlier that week at 40 miles, and I wasn’t able to walk for three days after and it took me three and a half hours to do.
He seemed to really have to think that one over.
A week later I got another phone call saying that they really did want me on the ride, but they were putting me on the Southern Route from New Orleans to Memphis. The condition of my acceptance was that he needed me to practice. And practice I did.
From Mid May {when bike riding is possible in the Great White North} to the End of June, I logged 1200 miles. That year I ended up being able to do just fine on the Southern Route..which was also a total of 1,200. I did learn what humidity was though….and how red the human arm can get.
While I may not be the fastest runner or strongest biker, I put it all out there. I know have fought for my brothers and sisters. That every four seconds one child that may have died may end up in one of our Pregnancy Resource Centers. They have a chance to be able to live on to grow up. So will you be able to stand up and fight good battle; will you be willing to go through a day that might not be all hearts and sparkles; will you get down and dirty to protect life? Come and join us!
No skill is too small to praise God our salvation. So how will you use your talents and gifts to praise the Lord and bring His kingdom, even if not through B4B? I know I’ll be counting on that mustard-sized faith to help me with another year of biking! Praise be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!
Think the Lord may be calling you to be a Biking for Babies missionary this year? Fill out the rider or support crew applications.
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Read the other blogs in this three-part series:
