Captain’s log, final entry
So much has happened, and not a lot of that went as planned. I had hoped for better and more frequent internet access, but it didn’t happen.
Taking a laptop would have been a good idea. Maybe one of those little ones would be great for a trip like this. Anyway, the updates were far fewer than I had intended.
Over the last week some pretty cool things happened. Here are some highlights:
I was riding through White Springs, Florida when I saw the Suwannee River Church of the Nazarene. I took a picture of it and then went looking for the pastor. He was in the parsonage next door. I knocked, he answered, and invited me in.
We talked over a cup of coffee for a about 20 minutes when he started to talk about how hard things were going for him. The church was trying to get rid of him and in the process they were wounding him and his wife.
Hollis and Gloria were beaten and battered people. This kind of stuff frustrates me. How do Christians justify this kind of thing? Paul thought he was doing God’s work and found out how wrong he was on the road to Damascus. Maybe each of these people will have an Damascus road experience.
We prayed and I tried to be an encouragement to them. Hollis told me that I had no idea how timely and important my visit was to him. Later that week, after Sunday service, I called to tell him I was praying for him. He told me that he had been telling everyone that he was visited by an angel that looked like a biker.
On Monday, June 22, I was starting to head home from Decatur, GA. I wasn’t going to take the back roads for two reasons: I was tired of the heat and I was ready to be home.
Even though I sort of thought I would miss the adventure, I was ready to be home. On I-75 I was passed by a guy on his bike. The only reason I remembered him is that he was so happy and gave a big thumbs up as he passed.
We end up at the same gas station and started talking. He offered to take me the back roads up to Lookout Mountain and then to Chattanooga. So off we went into the mountains. After we got to the top he asked me if I would want to go find a cave with him. Evidently this cave was something he found 30 years ago and wanted to take his son and grandkids to. I wanted to say no, but said yes.
We hiked in the woods for about 40 minutes, it was hot, humid and we were sweating like it was raining, but it was a riot.
John is an interesting character with a great life story. I was glad I went.
Finally, I had been to Florida and back. I was about 90 miles from home and my tent and bed roll fell of my bike. Really? Fell off? Yep. Some guy tried to tell me, but I could figure out what he was saying until I stopped for gas. Oh well…
Anyway, the trip was great. I will write more later. So it isn’t really the final entry…just the beginning of a new adventure.