This has actually been a journey that I have been on with the Lord for quite some time. I have found myself in a place where everything was strong except my head.
We did a long ride on the 20th of March (and this was my 3rd cycling session back on the bike after a couple of months) and I knew that it would be my head that would either get me across or stop me from going on.
As we were praying for the safety of the ride, Holy Spirit gave me words to speak (and awe learned that when you have an intimate living relationship with Him, He gives you the words to take authority over things that you go through).
The words He gave me was:
“I have a good attitude and a pleasurable countenance. This is fun. His joy is my strength and that is what will help me”
That too is my strategy for crossing the finish line, to declare the end from the beginnin
For me, this was really more about things I had to overcome in my walk with God, rather than the physical challenges although there were some.
Prior to this trip I was really pressing into God based on Ps John’s Sunday message, that I would be intentional and that because of my intent, that there would be moments of combustion between me and God and me and the people around me that would unlock relationships, and gifts and callings.
One thing that I specifically wanted to be intentional about was being joyful and actually enjoying where we were and what we were doing, rather than being sweaped up in the task at hand.
Really, for the first time, my ride was easy considering other factors that came into play. It was such a unique experience where I could feel the joy of the Lord bubbling up within me every time I saw a hill or something that would normally cause me to push my bike (like downhills and rocky uphills). I could even feel the restraint of Holy Spirit, to get of my bike and ridiculously praising Him, in moments where I had lost my joy.
It really was the first time that I made an intentional and conscious choice to ride with Him and it made all the difference.