My apologies to Robert Frost, but I have a friend named Les who had a singular view of life. Les loved bikes. He viewed life through the lens of biking. He loved biking as a child. He loved biking as an adult.
He loved long rides and short rides. He loved commuting to his job on his bike. Les loved weekend rides, riding to school, or just a quick spin around the block. He believed that no matter how or when or where or with whom he rode his bike, biking made him happy and was great for his health, his community and the environment we all share.
Les believed that bikes not only carry us from point A to point B, but they also help us avoid high gas prices, make our air cleaner and our roads less congested. Les believed that bikes fill our lives with adventure and excitement, relaxing our minds and energizing our souls.
Les loved to ride with friends and Les loved to ride by himself. When he rode by himself, he often tried to ride stronger, faster, better, smarter. Les knew that one man’s ceiling is another man’s floor. He knew there would always be stronger faster riders than he. But he also knew there would always be slower weaker riders than he. There would always be those with less experience and talent and those with more experience and talent.
Les always pushed the limits when he rode his bike. He tried to beat his previous times on routes that he often rode. Beating other people wasn’t important. Beating himself was what mattered. Improving his performance was what counted. Complacency was the enemy of progress in his mind.
The way Les felt about bikes, the way he loved bikes, was the way he felt about life and loved life. He believed God designed each of us to be brilliant. He wanted to use all the gifts and talents God had given him all the time. He believed that if he didn’t dream big, he was insulting God. He knew that even if it appeared to others that he was riding alone, he really wasn’t. Jesus was always with him.
His practiced passion for pedaling carried over into other areas of his life. He loved creating and accomplishing. He loved sharing and teaching. He loved leading but he was an excellent follower as well. He loved giving and knew that in giving he received so much more in return. Les believed in standing up for what he believed in, even if it meant he was unpopular.
Les knew in his heart of hearts that relationships were the most important things in his life. His relationship with his parents, his wife, his children, his colleagues, his friends and even with God sometimes took a backseat to the pursuit of his dreams. But Les knew in the end it was the relationships he had developed throughout his life that mattered most . . . especially his relationship with Jesus Christ.
Les is gone now . . .
. . . out on a ride.
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