Humbled

This morning, some professional cyclists graciously extended an invitation to join them for a ride. They are training for an 150 mile ride the weekend after Labor Day. They have heard that I've been riding my bike more in recent days and tried to include me in a short 12 or so mile ride.

They have wonderful road bikes, clicky shoes, water bottles, jerseys, speedometers, and all the special things that set them apart as professionals. I have a Dasani mountain bike that my dad won at a dinner last fall.

I thought that riding my bike during the summer would help me stay in reasonably good shape. By the end of the third hill, my legs were screaming, they were coasting, and I was "giving her all she's got" just to be able to see them.

I caught a fish this week. It was the first one I've caught in six years. Not that I've been fishing every weekend...I only fish about 2 days a year, on our leadership retreat. Anyway, I was using some special bait (raw hot dog) and caught a channel catfish, about 7 or 8 inches long. My friend saw me fishing and she caught a largemouth bass that made mine look like bait.

I read a story about a dinner party that Jesus went to. The people were fighting over who gets the best seats. I'm imagining some sort of religious musical chairs. In his upside-down kingdom, Jesus teaches, "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted."

So, thanks Sandy, Lindsey, Megan, and Tim for being Jesus to me.