Storms will come, and storms will go. But God, He is constant. He is always there. We can rely on Him to see us through our troubling times. I’m typing as we are returning from a camping trip in Virginia. The weather was not what we had hoped for. We did our research ahead of time. We watched videos of others who had ridden the Blue Ridge Parkway at the same time of year. So, we knew it could be cold in the mountains and we came prepared. We had ordered waterproof maps and a book with points of interest along the way.
We arrived late on the first night, so we just set up camp. We were able to find a place open late to eat and then turned in for the night. The second day was cool in the mid 60’s, but partly sunny. We took advantage of no rain being in the forecast and hit the road early! Our first experience on the Parkway was a beautiful exhilarating ride! We stopped to see an old mill in Mabry and enjoyed an excellent breakfast before heading out again. There were some nice overlooks along the way. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the best views because it was overcast. The spots of sunshine we rode through felt great, however, I was sure glad I decided to wear my leather. Part of me wished the whole ride was all sun and that the overall temperature for the day was at least 10 degrees warmer. But you know what? Those shady, overcast parts of the ride really helped me to appreciate the sun.
When things are going well in our lives, how often do we forget all His benefits? Do we remember His faithfulness? Do we lean on Him, trust Him and hope in Him? I know I can get spiritually lazy when things are smooth sailing. I’ve learned to be grateful for the good times as well as the rain.
The third day surprised us with more sun, no rain. We headed out again. The temperature began to drop, and the sun had disappeared behind the clouds. We met some friends for lunch, listened to some Blue Grass at the Music Center and headed back to our campground. By now, we were really enjoying our vacation and plan to return. I’d be happy to share some more tips if you are planning a visit to the area.
The fourth day, the 70% rain that was predicted to begin in the morning decided to wait until later in the day to arrive. This allowed us to head out for one last ride on the Road King. We then decided to drop off the bike and pick up our dog. We headed out to do a little hiking before the rain. We were able to get some exercise walking along a small stretch of the New River Trail. Afterwards, we enjoyed a fine car show down by a river. We had a fabulous grilled lunch served off the back of a caboose as we were entertained by a small band performing some oldies but goodies.
Then the rain began, it came down and our choices for what to do next were limited. We played a few hands of cards and made some dinner. We made plans to meet our friends at their church in the morning. Sadly, we were unable to make that church service. We had quite the morning! My husband got up early and began breaking down camp. You know the old saying, “When it rains it pours” ? Boy did it pour!
We were completely packed with plenty of margin to make the church service. All we had left to do was to get the motorcycle into the Toyhauler. We’ve done it plenty of times before, just never in the rain. Well, the ramp was slippery to begin with and the continuous rain coming down just made it that much more challenging. My husband seemed confident as he drove forward. We didn’t quite make our goal. Just as the trouble began, two men walked up and asked if we needed assistance. They spent the next 30 minutes trouble shooting and together the 3 men came up with a solution. It worked! Now, if only we could safely pull away and head to church. My husband shared his concern with the men that our hub assembly had blown the cap off and he was questioning if it would be safe to drive home. It turns out these 2 men had met each other while one was broken down on the side of the rode. They were more than willing to help out another brother. Wow God! Just wow! I was in the truck praying through it all as they took apart the hub assembly, greased it and reassembled the parts. In the meantime, the wife of one of them came up to talk with me. She gave me her number and assured me I could call if we had any trouble at all.
I share my story for a few reasons; I’ve certainly learned some lessons. One, celebrate the good times, savor the sunny spots, and prepare for bad weather. Our vacation wasn’t everything we hoped for and didn’t last as long as we had planned. However, we met some news friends we plan to camp with later this summer. So, look for the silver lining in the clouds. Not only will we be purchasing some rain gear and some new tools to protect ourselves physically and be prepared for mechanical problems, but, we will also be keeping our eyes and ears open for opportunities to see God at work. We wouldn’t want to miss an o
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