Sooner or later it happens.  An endo.  A patch of gravel.  A tired or too focused rider who gets too close to the wheel in front of him, rubs the tire and goes down.  Not paying attention and hitting the end of the pavement. AND DOGS! Big dogs.  Little ankle-biting dogs.  Dogs that are angry and dogs that are having fun (so they think).  Saturday was my time.  I was riding with someone else Saturday morning and had just fixed his flat and as we climbed a hill he was telling me about his motorcycle accident that almost took his life from multiple blood clots.  Suddenly from the right came not one, not two but three dogs-two big ones and one ankle biter.  The Rottweiler headed straight for Duane but had to pass in front of me first.  I hit him square on and that only meant one thing…no I didn’t jump the dog.  I went down hard.  I was fortunate that I was climbing the hill and had just crested so my speed was probably around 12 mph.   I will not adorn you with all my injuries but I am in one piece-a sore one piece-but one piece nonetheless.   That is not the first time that particular dog has chased me but in the past has always circled me or ran alongside.  But my next visit will be to the owner and if I could I would carry a baseball bat on my next ride and get off the bike to meet the dog head on.  I guarantee I won’t miss.  Sorry if that upsets all you animals lovers out there but I am 56 years old and don’t need some stupid dog chasing me or running in front of me.  Fortunate for the dog a bat is too bulky (but I do wish I had one that expanded like Biff’s in Back to the Future 2).   I would borrow Biff’s statement though: “Batter Up!”   The owner lets his dogs run loose and earlier in the season when it chased me and I was yelling at it to go home he said, “He won’t hurt you.”   Yeah right!  Well…enough of my “anger spout.”

Living a life that tries to follow Jesus is like that.  You seem to be out cruising and having fun when something comes along and trips you up-a temptation, a trial, your own laizze faire.  In spite of the fact that so many expect a Christ-follower to be perfect, they also expect them to fall and almost relish in that.  The key to my riding was getting back up (after I unclipped from my right pedal), making sure everything was working and then getting back on the bike to ride some more (we rode another 14 miles or so).  I have often heard that the key to riding a horse again when it has thrown you is to get right back on the horse.  In the Christian life there are always consequences to taking a spill but that should not stop us from picking ourselves back up and moving on.  We are not disqualified from serving Jesus-just a little bruised and battered.   But one thing it should do is make us more aware of what is happening and the enemy’s tactics.  Oh…and watch out for those dogs.

Your thoughts?