Twelve of us on 7 bikes and a truck gathered at the church this morning about 6 am to leave on our Ride With a Purpose. We loaded our belongings into the back of the truck and took off headed for parts north like Savannah and North Carolina. The weather was beautiful, the ride smooth as we sailed down Florida's back roads instead of surfing the interstate with lumbering eighteen wheelers and zooming cars.
About 10:30 or so we stopped for some breakfast at a little place called Keystone Heights. Our meal was good and conversation was fun. After we ate we gathered in the parking lot for a scripture and prayer for our church, our community and for specific people with specific needs. There's something about praying openly in public that confirms that our faith in Christ is not merely a tradition or ritual or routine. When we pray aloud together we demonstrate our geniune faith in someone who is real and who cares for us like no other. It's not a game. It's not a show. It's not playacting. We trust the Lord to move in lives and in circumstances for their betterment.
We left and continued north. We had a light shower--hardly enough to even say we got wet--and stopped for lunch about 3:30. For some of us we wanted to stop not so much to eat but to get off the bikes for a while. Those seats turn to steel after a couple of hours! We fellowshipped and continued on shortly after our meal.
It seemed to take a long time to get to Savannah but we finally made it about 6 pm. We got moderately priced rooms in a La Quinta Inn where the clerk gave us all the AAA discount because one of us had a membership. We met at 7:30 and went to dinner at the Riverwalk at the Shrimp Factory. The meal was great! Byron ordered the Blackened Mahi and I had the Grouper Florentine. I loved it!
We got back to our rooms kind of late and I tried to do some work on this blog but the wi-fi connection was very erratic. It was frustrating to say the least!
We had a good day. We rode, we laughed, we ate and we started getting to know one another a little better. There are a few people with us I'd never even met before but we are quickly becoming friends. We prayed for needs and communities. We asked the Lord to move in the lives of our friends and families and in our community. The hand of the Lord is not too short to help when we call on him.
Thank you, Father for fellowship with our friends, new and old, and especially with you. You are who makes this trip possible. Thank you for the beautiful places we've seen and the beautiful people we've met. You are amazing! I love you so very much.
Suz
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