Tough road …
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to roar and most recently has picked up speed at an exponential rate. A couple of days ago Ohio recorded a new record of eight thousand cases over a twenty-four hour period. The United States is continuously setting new cases and hospitalization records every day.
I spoke with a friend who works for a local hospital system and he told me the hospitals are at capacity and opening new beds while suffering from a worker shortage due to hospital staff contracting the virus.
Couple this dangerous stress on our healthcare system with a Presidential election that resulted in having over seventy million Americans extremely disappointed and you have … drumroll, please …
the year 2020.
Something in the air …
A couple of days ago Lori mentioned that she felt a different type of “strange and uncertain energy” in the air … my words not hers.
2020 has delivered a constant flow of uncertainty and it seems as though the feeling of uncertainty has now hit epic proportions.
I mentioned in a blog several months ago that I believe there is no bigger cause of anxiety than the feeling of uncertainty.
A bike ride like no other …
Last Tuesday was the final day of a beautiful trek of weather in Ohio.
Never in my existence do I recall experiencing such a glorious autumn in the early stages of November.
On the aforementioned Tuesday, I had a three hour opening on my schedule and decided to fill it with one final bike (with pedals) ride before winter. I am not a cold-weather rider.
The only drawback about riding on that day was there were winds gusting up to twenty miles per hour out of the south and normally my rides consist of a loop where the first half of my ride is southward.
Luckily, on that day, Lori was planning an adventure with Jordan and it was going to take them south of Dayton so I loaded my bike in her car and she dropped me off fifty miles from home.
and
On November the 10th, during the strange year of 2020, during an abnormally warm, sunshiny day, I got to enjoy my fastest ever 50-mile bike ride.
Dang was I pumped!
Looking for tailwinds …
While on my ride I thought about how important it is for all of us to look for “tailwinds” as we are fighting through the strongest collective headwind in our lives.
When I note “tailwinds” I’m talking about people, places, and things in our lives that most CERTAINLY …
give us energy
lift us up
make our heart smile
give us hope
give us meaning
While looking for “tailwinds” we need to also steer clear of “headwinds,” i.e., people, places, and things that …
deplete our energy
bring us down
deflate our heart
steal our hope
cause us to question our meaning
One-stop “tailwind” shop …
Today I am thankful for having faith in one thing which is Certain–my omnipresent and omniscient “Tailwind” …God.
How about you?
Never be afraid to trust an unknown future with a known God. ~Corrie Ten Boom
If you are struggling in navigating through this very stiff headwind called “2020,” try praying for the ultimate “Tailwind” to open your eyes and heart to an attitude that helps you find and experience all the good in the world as noted in Phelps’ opening thought.
It’s there if you look for it.
Psalm 139:14, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
P.E.A.C.E.
Jay@EagleLaunch.com
