Today was a study in contrasts as we traveled 74 miles to Brawley. We started the morning in 40 degree weather at a 4300 foot elevation and dropped 4500 feet to beneath sea level in the desert, where temps climbed to almost 90 degrees. We started in a lush green mountain landscape and ended up in a barren desert for about 40 miles just outside Brawley. I reached a speed of just under 44 mph coming down the mountain and averaged over 20 mph for the first 37 miles. That's pretty good for me and an illustration of the long downhill we enjoyed. We were able to stop where the truck with our gear was in order to remove our cold weather riding clothes to something more acclimated to the desert temps. As I moved into the desert I was struck with how barren it was. No water, no houses, a lot of sand and scrub brush. It reminded me of the wilderness where the Israelites spent 40 years learning the lessons God wanted them to learn. As I looked across the desert I imagined what it must have been like to have perhaps 2 million Israelites making their home there while wandering for 40 years. It painted a graphic picture in my mind and provided a much clearer picture of the extremely difficult task that Aaron and Moses had. I asked God to help me learn the lessons He wants me to learn without having to spend an entire generation stubbornly resisting Him.
I'm showing you a picture of a couple guys that remind me of someone else. I am sure you have run into people that remind you of friends or acquaintances. Well, Andy and Gary are two of those guys. Andy reminds me of my good friend Tom B. at church in his appearance, voice and mannerisms. Gary reminds me of the trainer, Bob Harper, on the TV show "Biggest Loser". Yes, I do watch that show occasionally. I thought it was very kind of God to give me a guy who reminds me of a good friend while on the trip.
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| Andy on the left and Gary on the right |
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