Open Road Press

Francis Marion National Forest hosted a beautiful ride after we left Monck’s Corner, South Carolina, this morning. Tall trees and plenty of underbrush on both sides of the road made for a tranquil start to the day. Last night’s thunderstorms cooled the air during our ride. We had no rain, but we saw evidence of early morning showers that preceded us as puddles of water welled up in the rumble strips.

I have to say, Tim is a phenomenal navigator. If you could see the Adventure Cycling maps, you would be amazed at their detail. Directions for northbound and southbound travel appear on the same map. The map is designed to be read while bicycling, so it is folded into sections; you only see one section at a time. Each section covers only about 25-40 miles. The entire map that we are currently following includes the route from Statesboro, Georgia, to Wilmington, North Carolina, which is approximately 350 miles.

What amazes me is that there are so many roads, and so many directions to follow that it is difficult to see the big picture, the final destination of the maps. It reminds us of our faith walk. God gives us each day of life–and everyone has heard the expression: “live one day at a time.” We have to do that with the maps–one panel at a time, actually, one turn at a time so we can get where we want to without getting lost. If we aren’t accurate with our next move, the ones that follow will not work–and we soon find ourselves way off course. When trusting God with the big picture, our job is to follow Him, one day at a time, in fact one act of obedience at a time. It is a great way to live. Our trip reminds us to bike by faith, not by sight…well, we do need to keep our eyes on the road, and the map…but faith is a necessary companion!

And talking about faith, we have seen so many country churches throughout South Carolina. They are usually white-washed or brick. Often, a marquee appears out front with a Bible verse, or some encouraging thought. We have also seen standard, free-standing signs that say “Jesus saves” or “Only one way to heaven…Jesus.”