Adventures in Road Biking

It has been a week! Each day, I got home from work, did a bit in the yard to restore my sanity, ate a snack (nothing you could really call dinner this week) with my laptop in my lap, went to the gym, home to more work, and bed. By the time Friday night arrived, I was running on fumes. I got a late start Saturday morning. I could not decide exactly what I wanted to do, especially with the rain threat. I started to go to the Suwanee Greenway, but at the last minute I decided that it was unnecessary to drive 30 minutes one way in the car just to ride my bike. I have been doing a good number of shorter road bike rides during the week, and have been feeling more comfortable riding next to cars going at 55 MPH. As such, I decided to ride from home to Alpharetta, do one trip down the Big Creek Greenway, have lunch at my favorite high-carb place, and come home.

While I would probably make the same decision again, I began to doubt my decision early on as I was reminded that Atlanta is almost as hilly as San Francisco. I took me just over an hour to get to Alpharetta, at which point I took a brief but well deserved rest. After dealing with a leaky hydration pack, I rode the full length of the Greenway. Fortunately, the rain moved out before I left, so I was dry – for a while.

I checked the radar just before lunch, and everything looked clear. As I ate lunch however, I could see serious clouds to the west. As I left the restaurant, I heard a bit of thunder, and I was getting wet before I left the parking lot. It was very light until the last 3 miles, but I was pretty wet when I got home. I was also reminded of basic physics – wet streets have more friction, reducing MPG (miles per galloon) for cars and MPM (miles per muffin) for bikers.

During my ride, God re-enforced the clear message he had given me through an event Friday – Psalms 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God…” (slightly out of context).

I have been working very hard to get the eNable business going, but it has been a frustrating process, because there just has not been enough of me to go around. Were it not for my partner and brother Phil, I would not have made it at all. We have been seeing some very good results, for which I am greatful.

Tuesday, we got a call about a phone system from someone who had received a brochure on a phone system we mailed starting Saturday. I made an appointment for Friday, the first opening I had. The caller was Indian from his accent, so I really did not pay much attention when he closed the call with “God Bless” (I confess my prejudice here).

I arrived for the appointment, and was greeted warmly. He proceeded to show me where he wanted the system and the extensions, as if the purchase was a foregone conclusion. While I have not done much sales, I knew it could not be that easy. When we sat down to work out the arrangements, he identified himself as a believer, and a part-time bible teacher. He said he had prayed about our company and the system purchase, as he does with all major decisions and felt God’s leading to use us. We prayed together before I left. It is hard to go wrong with sales in God is your principal salesman! It also served as a poignant reminder that it is God’s job to deliver, and mine just to be obedient.