Written by: Brenda Heathcoat
Today was an awesome day. Last year when I started the summer adventure I had the same problems with my bicycle and feet, though this year I was better prepared mentally. The ride this morning—I couldn’t have asked for a better day. While I did not sleep well and woke up with a headache, all those things that can ruin your day, I pressed in prayer this morning before anybody had gotten up. This helped me to prepare for the day because I knew it was going to be challenging.
The devotion turned out to be everything I needed to hear, helping with the nervousness and anxiety I was experiencing. I took it and rode with it. I didn’t finish the route today, but everything I did do was my best. I only had to stop once for my feet near the end—to me that was victory!
This is only my third year of cycling, so I’m fresh and new, learning a lot. I joined with the Fuller Center when they had just started traveling across the country two summers ago, and my husband and I were in the same area. I was looking for places to cycle in my hometown when I discovered them. I saw what they were doing and then looked at what the Fuller Center does worldwide, how they’re Christ-centered, faith-based and grassroots-focused. They are not corporate or cold, but very compassionate and intimate. I saw one of their stories of a house build for a single mom, they presented her with a Bible and mentorship while she was living there. I was just bawling. It gripped my heart. I wanted to support that idea, that it’s not about how big your house is or how fast or slow we cycle, it’s about blessing these families that are working so hard and just don’t have the means. My husband and I have been there, being young, in the Navy and broke. The cycling is just cherries on top of the mission of love and eliminating poverty housing. I’ve dreamt of cycling for years before getting my bike. Last year I was overwhelmed to realize my God inspired dreams.
I love being around the whole team, even though we’re not of the same beliefs or backgrounds. I think it’s awesome that the Bike Adventure is open to everyone and gives us this common ground to build relationships.
