If the rain continues to hold off, I am hoping to get in a 15-mile bike ride this afternoon. My non-cycling friends think this is a pretty decent distance but I can ride a bit farther. My limitations have more to do with time than anything else.
That said, I have a long way to go before I reach the level of a California pastor who is “Biking for Bibles.” Randy Gardner, associate pastor of Ocean View Baptist Church in San Pedro, California, has pedaled more than 100 miles a day in his quest to raise $72,000 for the International Bible Society‘s Bible translation and scripture outreach efforts. Gardner, 56, and his team started their journey on April 20 and will log some 3,600 miles before concluding their trek this week in Manhattan’s Battery Park.
Gardner’s journey has thus far taken him through California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia. As of this writing, Gardner and his team were in the Chambersburg, Penn. area according to the live GPS tracker on his Web site. The rest of this week will take them through New Jersey and on to their final destination sometime Friday.
In his latest blog post, Gardner writes:
Riding for the greater purpose of Bible translation and Scripture outreach keeps you going when every part of your body says, “take a break” or “take a short cut.” It’s amazing what the mind and spirit of a man can accomplish when you choose to continue on.
How cool is it when a person gets to combine more than one of his or her passions for God’s glory. In my limited experience, this is when God really does some great things in ministry.
You can follow Gardner and his team on the last days of their journey on their Web site. Let’s pray for them and give them encouragement as they press on.
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