Pulling out of Temecula onto I-15 at 4 AM 2 years ago, I had one primary goal. To test myself, to push my limits, to see if at 70 I could repeat the feat done at 28: riding over 1,000 miles on 2 wheels in under 24 hours. Oh yeah, I had other goals, to meet Jerry in Butte as we hit 3 of the states I had not ridden in, and then to meet Mick and Brad and head to Banff.
Dawn had not yet broken before completing the first segment to Barstow, but the darkness was fine. With little traffic heading to St. George, I had the leisure to notice the desert beauty—subtle shades of differing colors on the mountains and hills. Varying hues of green vegetation. The uniquely eroded shapes of rocks. The vivid three-dimensions only the arid deserts give. Then the stunner, the morning sun striking the red rock cliffs around St. George. This yielded to the farming valleys to the north, lush alfalfa and cattle and horses grazing.
The bigger cities, Provo and Salt Lake, offered neither much scenery nor punishment, but the mountain range just to the east provided a nice touch of majesty, and the pass north of Salt Lake took me to yet another higher and different area. Ranches and cattle, then Montana and its rolling hills and valleys and mountains captivated me, as it always does. Trees covered the hills, the sunset over the Rockies to the west took my breath, and I felt at home. After over 16 hours on the bike, I smiled at the sight of the Motel 6, my home for a night.
Yes, I met the test: 1,080 miles in just over 16 hours. But then serendipity struck. Seeing all of that country over 2 or 3 days would have segmented it, but doing it in one day made it a unity. The differing geography, climate, times of day flowed into a whole. And perceiving it like that changed the perception. The variety struck me. And deeper yet, viewing this holistically taught me something about God. So here, for the first time, my Iron Butt lessons about the person of God.
First God loves beauty. The beauty of the created world continues to amaze me. And he created us to appreciate that beauty. May we not forget that with God, beauty takes a multitude of forms. The deserts with their dimensions and colors and shapes. The valleys, productive in growing crops and giving rivers their course and providing homes. The mountains, their trees gifting us with oxygen and pointing us to God. The glory of sunrises and sunsets. And, most importantly, the variety of people, in all our forms and ways of laughing and living.
We all have our favorite sources of beauty, and I understand that. But maybe we can extend our range and begin to appreciate more. I promise you, as you stretch your envelope, you’ll see more of God. Look for all the beauty that God gives us and blesses us with.
Second, I saw the world as a unity more than I normally do on any trip. Yes, we see the world in theory when we see a globe or map, but those merely represent the world. In one day, traveling nearly 1,100 miles, I saw and smelled and touched and heard and covered a LOT of his world. That changed me. Yet that huge run is less than 5% of the circle of the earth. However, it’s united. The same principle can apply to the entire earth. And the more we travel, the more we’re able to see more of God’s majesty.
And what a magnificent God to create such a united world, so different, but balanced. The cycle of water—remaining basically the same total, but evaporating from the surface into vapor in the clouds, then falling as rain and snow and hail to replenish the lakes and streams and rivers and underground water table. The food chain: beginning with plants adapting energy from the sun and turning that into plant energy to feed grass eating animals who feed meat eating animals who die and fertilize the plants.
So, the take home. Do I suggest you all buy a motorcycle and do an Iron Butt Ride? Of course not. But look at the world. Really look. Look for what it says about the One who made it.
Kick Starting the Application
Just two questions today. What did you learn about God and the world? How can you learn more?