MS 150 Final Thoughts

On Sunday afternoon my assistant Jenny (along with her husband Doug and son Dillon), Katelyn (one of our Student Ministers), David (our Seminary Intern) and I (along with 12,000 others) successfully completed the MS 150/75.  I think we represented the Grace staff very well.  There were also lots of Grace members riding and I spent most the day talking about a Grace Team for next year’s ride – so be prepared!
 
I spent a large potion of the day changing flat tires.  Katelyn had 4 and I had 5 – frustrating on many levels especially since “operator error” may have resulted in a few of the flats – but now I am quite proficient at changing the tube on a road bike.
 
We are also all now well seasoned for managing hills and a strong headwind – which we experienced for most of the ride and especially over the last 40 miles.
 
That aside the entire day was a blast and I AM looking forward to a two-day ride next year – and some rides between now and then.
 
There were two highlights that stood out (among many).
 
Riding into Austin along a line of cheering people and crossing the finish line was a rush and a memory I won’t soon forget.  But the stronger memory is of a woman standing in her yard as we drove through Bastrop (which btw is a really cool little town).  The woman held a poster board sign that read: “Thanks for riding to save my life.”
 
It was a great reminder that as fun and challenging as the day was, we were engaged in serious business – raising support for people suffering a terrible disease, multiple sclerosis.
 
My hope is that as we engage in ministry at Grace we also experience a lot of fun and laughter amidst the challenges.  And I hope that we never forget that we are engaged in serious business.  Imagine if each member of our community was holding a poster board describing that challenge they are facing.  Jesus said that He came that we might know abundant life and He’s entrusted the proclamation of that life to us.
 
This is serious business.