uneven ground shall become level

I saw the picture I took of the cut outs on the way to Langtry, TX and it reminded me of a verse I'd read recently during Advent. I googled and the clicky box produced some results from Isaiah 40: 3-5. 

A voice cries out:
"In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make strait in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

The way we have shaped our landscape and built infrastructure to make it easier to cross vast deserts and climb jagged mountains is impressive. Without this work done preparing the way, I wouldn't have crossed the country.

I don't feel that this is one of those Bible passages meant to be taken literally and I am not the Lord. So the preparation wasn't done specifically for me. However, the Lord works through us. What good came out of my journey? I wasn't riding for a cause. Did it prepare me for the life ahead of me?

At the conclusion of my bike tour I did have a summer job waiting for me, but that came and went. My college closed abruptly and still greiving, I cycled off into a recession. I found the jobs that I could  find. I didn't feel that the bike tour had really prepared me. I floundered. What was the point? 

After 15 years of reflection, I found that the way I had to depend on strangers brought my faith in humanity to a new level. Coming up in the blog you'll see so many more times when people I didn't know took me in, took me to the doctor, and even baked me birthday cakes.

Back in the real world I've gradually lost some of that faith and trust. What I see comes through the filter of the media, my relationships, and the drudge of daily life. The worries easily overwhelm the faith. Our borders aren't safe. Our schools aren't safe. Dictators are trying to take over the world. Will I ever be able to retire?

Is the world scarier than it was 15 years ago? Or do I just know too much? How can we shape the landscape of our hearts? Lift the valleys. Lower the mountains. Flatten the ground. Restore our faith in humanity.

Originally Posted ​March 03, 2007

Langtry - 61.70 miles

We stopped in Dryden. It really was the only place to stop on our ride today. We watched the end of the man from snowy river with the man who ran the lone shop. I ate canned peaces and drank hot coffee. It was a welcome escape from the cold wind. It was the second movie of the day following Monster-In-Law that we'd seen on HBO at the hotel. We made it to Langtry after the "town" had closed down. We'd been delayed with another bloody nose. After about a week, I won't have one for several months. We found the community center where the map indicated we could camp. We chatted with the few RVers before setting up camp. I ate my cheese, tortillas, summer sausage, and zucchini, while Jon struggled to put together his old whisperlite. It was pre-shaker jet and the gas started to come in bursts. I decided to go visit some of the nice RVers and get out of the cold. The airstream had a commercial fisherman from the Bering Sea and Idaho. He traveled alone and he took time to form his sentences. It was refreshing for there to be silence between words. I met Ross out having a smoke. He invited me in and I chatted with him and Nadine. They are Canadian with adventurous children. After treating me to tea and cookies, they offered me their couch. I quickly accepted and here I am. It will probably only be down in the 30's, but I will be warm. Jon was typing in his tent when I went out to tell him. He seemed cozy with the Rio Grande a few hundred yards away.
1270.2 odo - 5:26:05 time - 11.3 ave - 36.7 max