Pedaling Into the Wind

Friday, my wife Erin and I had the opportunity to go out on a bike ride together, pulling our 6 month old in a bike trailer. This is a big deal for us, because its something we used to do a great deal with our older girls, but have not been able to do in quite a while as a couple. It was a wonderful ride. About 20 miles into our adventure date, a cyclist in full gear passed by us saying as he passed something like: "I bet that bike trailer slows you down a lot on a windy day like this!" My pride swelled, and without hesitation I stood up in the pedals and began to run him down, careening along with our precious 6 month Maia cooing and laughing in the trailer behind me.

I didn't catch him.

No, the strong wind was too much for me to overcome with the trailer in tow. Instead, my heart was pounding and my face was flushed, and now I had left my beautiful bride in dust with no one to ride with, and to no one's surprise she lacked desire to chase after an overly-competitive husband.

Pedaling into the wind.

Sometimes, we chase after things that have little meaning, and leave those we love in the wake of our foolish choices.

Solomon, the wisest man ever to live says this in Ecclesiastes 2:11 says: "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."

So what are we supposed to do?

Here is Solomon's solution: Ecclesiastes 2:24 So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him?

How's pedaling into the wind working out for you? Try something different. How about living fully, for God, right here and right now in the present moment?