Back in the early 90’s I was tricked into getting in the sport of Triathlon, but we’ll save that very funny story for another day, another column.  I will say this though, the five years that followed as a triathlete were some of the best, most fulfilling years of my life.  There were so many incredible life lessons that came in the course of training and competing in what I lovingly call a sport for REALLY STUPID PEOPLE (ironically many of the athletes in this sport are Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers, Architects and so on - in other words, intelligent people).

During my racing days, I was pretty “eaten up” with the sport.  I remember there was an ad campaign in a Bicycling magazine that read, “There’s Always A Headwind”.  As you can tell, I never forgot it.....probably because in cycling it’s TRUE, especially in Tulsa, OK.  Wind is such a significant issue that when you plan your rides, the direction of the wind is often a consideration in your route.  

I still ride these days, in fact it’s my workout of choice.  In the past couple of weeks, the wind has been such an issue that I have been reminded of the old ad EVERY time I go ride.  I have remembered other quotable lines too, such as: “What doesn’t kill you makes you better” and “…as iron sharpens iron…”.  My personal favorite is “In this life there will be tribulation, but (Of course the end of that one is interesting) be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.”   Of course Jesus said that....and I don’t know about you, but I kind of wish he hadn’t, because then I could have ignored it.

It seems everywhere I look, I or someone I know is facing some sort of resistance, some sort of challenge: a Headwind.  The Apostle Paul said, “…I press toward the goal”.  There are days when I want to say, “Well good for you Paul, but I don’t feel like it”.   I bet you’ve felt the same way.  The thing is, we can’t say that!  Because there IS always a headwind and the only way to get stronger is to fight it.  It’s grueling sometimes and downright painful, yet if you keep facing the headwind, with a good attitude you just get stronger.  You gain endurance and you find that what you felt would kill you in the past is NOTHING now.  

Sometimes my riding partners and I would push one another with this goofy little comment: “Wind, what wind? I don’t feel any wind”.  In fact that became how we complained about the wind.  I am not telling you to ignore situations or trials and I am certainly not saying deny them.  I am simply saying face them, you can’t reroute all the time.  

Today when I finish writing I am going to go ride.  It is 85 degrees with 27 mph winds out of the South (last week was worse).  Whether I ride 25, 30, or 40 miles, at least 40% of my ride will be straight into the wind.  I have learned little tricks that make the wind easier to navigate, but if I never faced it I wouldn’t have learned those little tricks.   Quite frankly, if I was unwilling to face the headwind I would never ride here in the grand city of Tulsa, OK.  That is, in fact my point - whatever the headwind in your life, it will likely keep coming up, so why not face it, maybe even learn from it and OVERCOME it.  

Sometimes people are the headwind, sometimes whether we want to admit it or not, WE are the headwind.  As has been the case in my life, this past few days BOTH they and we are the headwind.  Either way, quoting the famous line from Apollo 13, “Failure is not an option”.  

I have never enjoyed the headwind, any more than Paul enjoyed being beaten and left for dead....or “his thorn”, but it was Paul that wrote that we are MORE than Conquerors THROUGH HIM who loves us.  Simply stated, Greater is he that’s in you than the headwinds that come our way.  Tap into the fact that the greater one is in you and DO all things THROUGH Christ, who is in you!

During my racing days, I was pretty “eaten up” with the sport.  I remember there was an ad campaign in a Bicycling magazine that read, “There’s Always A Headwind”.  As you can tell, I never forgot it.....probably because in cycling it’s TRUE, especially in Tulsa, OK.  Wind is such a significant issue that when you plan your rides, the direction of the wind is often a consideration in your route.  

I still ride these days, in fact it’s my workout of choice.  In the past couple of weeks, the wind has been such an issue that I have been reminded of the old ad EVERY time I go ride.  I have remembered other quotable lines too, such as: “What doesn’t kill you makes you better” and “…as iron sharpens iron…”.  My personal favorite is “In this life there will be tribulation, but (Of course the end of that one is interesting) be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.”  Of course Jesus said that....and I don’t know about you, but I kind of wish he hadn’t, because then I could have ignored it.

It seems everywhere I look, I or someone I know is facing some sort of resistance, some sort of challenge: a Headwind.  The Apostle Paul said, “…I press toward the goal”.  There are days when I want to say, “Well good for you Paul, but I don’t feel like it”.   I bet you’ve felt the same way.  The thing is, we can’t say that!  Because there IS always a headwind and the only way to get stronger is to fight it.  It’s grueling sometimes and downright painful, yet if you keep facing the headwind, with a good attitude you just get stronger.  You gain endurance and you find that what you felt would kill you in the past is NOTHING now.  

Sometimes my riding partners and I would push one another with this goofy little comment: “Wind, what wind? I don’t feel any wind”.  In fact that became how we complained about the wind.  I am not telling you to ignore situations or trials and I am certainly not saying deny them.  I am simply saying face them, you can’t reroute all the time.  

Today when I finish writing I am going to go ride.  It is 85 degrees with 27 mph winds out of the South (last week was worse).  Whether I ride 25, 30, or 40 miles, at least 40% of my ride will be straight into the wind.  I have learned little tricks that make the wind easier to navigate, but if I never faced it I wouldn’t have learned those little tricks.   Quite frankly, if I was unwilling to face the headwind I would never ride here in the grand city of Tulsa, OK.  That is, in fact my point - whatever the headwind in your life, it will likely keep coming up, so why not face it, maybe even learn from it and OVERCOME it.  

Sometimes people are the headwind, sometimes whether we want to admit it or not, WE are the headwind.  As has been the case in my life, this past few days BOTH they and we are the headwind.  Either way, quoting the famous line from Apollo 13, “Failure is not an option”.  

I have never enjoyed the headwind, any more than Paul enjoyed being beaten and left for dead....or “his thorn”, but it was Paul that wrote that we are MORE than Conquerors THROUGH HIM who loves us.  Simply stated, Greater is he that’s in you than the headwinds that come our way.  Tap into the fact that the greater one is in you and DO all things THROUGH Christ, who is in you!