By: Brian Niedert
I awoke this morning to a beautiful cool morning, pleasantly surprised by the shift in winds overnight from south to north. The anticipation of riding the tailwinds out of Vero Beach was heavy on the minds of us all who fought headwinds the previous two days.
I was blessed with the opportunity to present the morning devotional, focusing our thoughts on Jesus- The Light of the World. He was indeed, the light of the world while he was in the world. He calls us who are in the world but not of it, to be salt and light. He calls us to be light, not to draw attention to ourselves, but that others may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in Heaven. A challenge was presented to spend time daily in the Word (which became flesh and dwelt among us) that our minds would be transformed and the light of our lives shine bright for His glory. As was fitting, we remembered on this last day of the year one our our own FCBA riders’ whose life was taken prematurely by a vehicle collision a few months prior. His life was one of shining the light of Christ wherever he went. What a sobering moment it was to reflect on how short our lives on this earth really are and how we should seize every moment to share Jesus with others.
And off we went – headed out to West Palm Beach with the wind to our backs and temperatures never climbing out of the 70’s. The views this day were absolutely spectacular, catching frequent glimpses of sunny beaches as we rode through meticulously manicured landscapes of several golf and yacht club communities, winding our way along the back roads and scenic byways. Our destination – Holy Trinity Episcopal Church- a beautiful one-hundred year old church in the heart of the city next door to Trump Plaza.
Being this the last night of the year, many were interested in going out to celebrate and ring in the new year. However, many of us were content in celebrating with sleep.
All-in-all, we tried our best to bring glory to God as we let our light shine bright – finishing the year off strong. Praise be to God!
