Something I've been thinking about as a new year is upon us... I've resolved to not make a specific new years resolution, but rather just learn to navigate the curves in life better. How you ask? I remember a tip that I learned in my Riders Edge class that applies to turning: Slow, Look, Press, and Roll. Simple, I know. However, I think there may be some valuable life lessons in this. I'm not going to expound too much on this, but just briefly below. Enjoy.
Slow. We all seem to be moving at 100 miles per hour these days. Full throttle. Full steam. Full speed ahead. I need to remember to take time to slow it down a bit. Focus on the important things. Spend more time with my Lord.. dig into the good stuff, God's word. Take time to listen. My Riders Handbook states, "First, slow down as you approach a turn and look through the turn to where you want to go (turning your head, not just your eyes)." If we are taking time to slow down the pace of things, those "turns" in life, may all of the sudden become a little more manageable. I also like the thought of "turning your head, not just your eyes".
Look. As mentioned above, after slowing down it is critical to look where you want to go. I will tell you from experience, that if you are looking down or at *ahem* a curb, you will hit the curb and not end up where you wanted to be. Life lesson: Look up.
Press. Next thing to do when moving through a curve is to lean your bike by pressing the handgrip in the direction you want to turn. Because you have slowed down, looked where you want to go and determined that you are ready to commit to the turn, it is easy to trust that by pressing on the handgrip the bike will turn accordingly and you will safely navigate the turn. In this same way, I think that God wants us to lean on him to carry us through our "turns" in life. It should make things easier too b/c we've already slowed down and looked to Him for our help. Therefore, the natural thing to do is lean on Him. Life lesson: Press on (Phil 3: 12)
Roll. What else is there to do at this point? Roll on. Roll on that throttle to stabilize yourself through the turn. Hang on and enjoy the ride! But remember... don't go to fast. Let off the throttle and slow down again so you can negotiate that next turn.
