Second Chances.

Enjoying the view...

…and the 808s

This weekend I've been thinking a lot about second chances, do-overs, and the mystery of grace. During yesterday's ride along the coast, aside from enjoying the view and the miles, I had one other goal in mind- to revisit a painful site down near Davenport. I wanted to go over the railroad tracks again- those same metal lines that caused me to crash, flip sideways along the road, bruising my ego and my body. I needed to prove to myself that I could pass over them again, this time unscathed.

As I saw them appear, this time I tactfully and carefully positioned my wheels at a perpendicular angle, and as my tires passed over them, I breathed a sigh of relief. There's something about that experience- knowing that second chances exist- but we must have the courage to approach those areas now with caution and care and compassion.

Beauty from Pigeon Point.

All of life is like the single bike lane down the coast… miles filled with lessons of loving and letting go and learning and listening and leading and living in each moment. Noticing the way the sun hits the water at a certain time of day, how the fog collects in certain places and then lifts gently and blends back into the sky, how the wind shifts throughout the day, but also the reality of humanity- the shredded tire pieces strewn along the highway, shattered glass shards glistening in the afternoon sun, a random tennis shoe lying in the center of the road, all alone.

Luckily, there is a thing called grace, and this allows us to get up after we've crashed, wipe the blood off, and later return to the same spot a year later to conquer the thing that initially took us out- yet this time we are moving confidently, with awareness and gratitude, and staying upright.

I heard this song for the first time this morning, and it encapsulated everything I've been feeling this weekend. As I jogged the perimeter of the lake tonight and felt my breath in my lungs and my heart beating, it made me so grateful for the larger second chances we all have in life.

Because those are the ones that really matter.

Chasing the sunset tonight...

You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore
Every heart that is broken

Great are You, Lord

It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
To You only

You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore
Every heart that is broken

Great are You, Lord

It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
To You only

-from "Great Are You Lord" by All Sons and Daughters