Taste and See

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” ESV Psalm 34:8

My bicycling friend tells me I looked like a dead carp. You know what I mean. When a carp dies, the currents inevitably send it nose first into the shoreline where its lifeless, bloated body floats in the sunny shallows; only moving with the gentle motion of the water. That was me. Nose first into the shoreline, clothes and all, only moving with the gentle flow of Cypress Creek. And enjoying every minute of it; it was good.

A couple of years back a friend and I coaxed our wives into driving us to Nashville and dropping us off at the northern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway. Now that I think about it, the trip was fraught with danger. The girls were all alone as they navigated their way home past the dangerous halls of the Temple of Temptation (also known as the Cool Springs Galleria). Meanwhile, it was up to my friend and me to muster the strength and stamina to pedal the same distance home via the Trace on our bikes. But given the choice, I’ll pedal the Trace any day to avoid the dangers lurking in the mall.

The first day was as hilly as anything I’ve ever ridden. There is literally not a flat spot of pavement to be found on the first 50 miles of the Trace traveling south from Nashville. Furthermore, I’ll put the first 16 miles up against any “hill” route around here you can come up with. Have I mentioned that our trip took place in late-August? Do the words hot and humid come to mind? The first day was a 3-H day; hot, humid, and hilly. I am told that I slept for 12 hours straight that evening; I have no recollection of it at all.

The next morning we were back on our bikes fairly early. The hills subsided, but the hot August sun continued to bear down on us with all its might. To make the heat worse still, the pavement changed from a light grey chip seal to a fresh, dark black top. Now, the black top was infinitely smoother, but it was also at least 15 degrees hotter. Couple that with the fact that my peak riding form left me many years ago and you get the picture. This fat boy was suffering.

And suddenly there it was. Within sight of the Alabama state line was an Oasis. Cool, shallow water carved its way out of the wooded shade and flowed underneath the Trace. If the creek could speak, I am convinced that it would have shouted: Break time! I didn’t have to imagine it calling my name twice. I only shucked my shoes before plunging headlong into the creek. And it was everything I could have asked for; cool; refreshing; rejuvenating. It didn’t matter that I looked like a dead carp because I was enjoying every minute of it. The water was my refuge from the heat.

I see people every day, perhaps even you, who appear to be spiritually exhausted; weighed down by the worries, troubles and temptations of the day. They are exhausted, just as if they’d been riding a bike in the hot August sun all day. All the while God has provided an Oasis in Christ Jesus; cool; refreshing; rejuvenating; a refuge from the heat of the day. Don’t wait for the second call. Taste and see that the Lord is good!

Have a great week.