Times, they are a-changin'...

Ride:Well, 2010...what can be said?

I signed up for this 8 months ago having no idea the impact that this whole experience would have on my life. Heck, at the time, I didn't even have a BIKE! But, my, how times have changed.

I signed up for this with the intention of being a part of something bigger than myself, to help bring change to someone's life. Change how someone lives on a day-to-day basis. But even more than that, to stretch myself in the process. I wanted to do something that would require God's help. REQUIRE...as in, no options, no back-up plans, I needed help. God's help...and with more of His grace than I deserve, and with the support of friends, family, and even people I didn't know, I made it. I trained, bled, and perspired like a crazy person to prep myself for this amazing opportunity, and I made it...

Five weeks ago, I arrived in San Diego, California, the starting point for the Ride:Well Southern Tour. My hopes were high, and I was ready to ride. June 5th, the Southern and Pacific teams took off on a 20 something mile ride from the church that was hosting us to the beach there in San Diego. This ride is what was readying us all for this crazy experience that we all signed up for...what we all worked so hard for. And it was HERE!

Five miles into this ride, however, I took a little spill. My bike tire skimmed a curb, and I fell on my left side. To be honest, I didn't really think much of it at first. My knee and my elbow got a little scraped up, but that wasn't anything that water from my water bottle and some bandages from a stop at CVS couldn't help. But after about an hour, hour and a half, my shoulder started to be in some pain. Thinking nothing of it really I just kept going.

The next day, the first official day of the ride, the arm was pretty sore, but again, I just thought I jammed it (since my elbow and the concrete had a nice meeting) or maybe pulled a muscle, and we took off. Every day I was in pain, but like the silly cyclist I am (and I think every rider is at some point), I just kept riding. With the exception of a few days because of pretty extreme pain, I just kept riding. Ibuprofen and I became good friends, and that was that.

After about 1500 miles, it was "Dallas weekend". We arrived in Dallas on June 30th and we were all ready for a stress-free weekend...and I especially was excited about seeing some familiar faces. The Oaks, the church that hosted us, set it up for a couple doctors to check on any of us riders who wanted to get checked out while we were there. So, the night of July 1st, I met with Dr. Chad Coleman. After about 3 motion exercises (that I pretty much failed miserably at), his assesment was that I probably tore my rotater cuff. Something that would mandate a serious MRI after the ride. But I would be able to finish if that was the case since I'd already ridden on for so long. BUT, he asked that I have an x-ray done the next morning...as a precaution.

OK. I can handle that.

So, the next morning, while the team was doing a Yoga class, I was getting a "precautionary" x-ray done. After 2 shots of my shoulder and 2 of my elbow, the x-ray administrator returned to the room and said:

"The doctor would like to have a few words with you".

Something no one likes to hear. "Oh crap", I thought...

I walked into a dark room full of x-rays on the dimmed-lighted walls, and there were 2 right in the middle.

My elbow and my shoulder.

And I saw the fractures.

The doctor turned to me and said "You're crazy. Because number one: you're riding your bike across the country, and number two: because you've been doing it on a broken shoulder."

My heart sank.

This changed everything.

Immediately from there, I headed to Dr. Coleman's office for a brief visit to which it was clarified that my time on the bike had come to an abrupt end.

From there, God completely did a miracle and opened a door. An orthopedic doctor friend of his who should have left 30 minutes earlier, was willing to see me. Right. Then.

And I sped there. This orthopedic physician was the one who would have the say on if only my time on the bike was at an end, or if my time on Ride:Well had completely come to a stop. After a couple more x-rays at his office and the assurance that I would be meeting with him as soon as I get home, I got the clearance to stay on the tour. I'm not on my bike, I have a sling, but I have my team.

I have a twist in my summer's story.

I have a chance to learn things, I will never have the chance to learn.

I have to chance to be reminded about what it means to really serve.

Serve my team, serve this amazing cause, and serve our friends in Africa.

That is priceless. That is what I signed up for.

This isn't how I thought it would go, but that's ok. Everything happens for a reason.

*Do Justice

*Love Mercy

*Walk Humbly

It's progressive, but I'm on my way.