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
A couple of my buddies enjoyed a good laugh recalling this story the other day, so I thought I’d share it again here for you.
My bicycling friend told 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.
We had coaxed our wives into driving us to Nashville and dropping us off at the northern end of the Natchez Trace Parkway. In hindsight, 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 home 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. 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. Though I have no recollection of it, I’m told that I slept for 12 hours straight that evening.
The next morning 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. While infinitely smoother, it was also 15 degrees hotter. Having lost my peak riding form many years ago, 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 road. If the water could speak, I’m certain it would have called my name. So, 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 just as 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. Won’t you taste and see that the Lord is good!
Ken Askew
A couple of my buddies enjoyed a good laugh recalling this story the other day, so I thought I’d share it again here for you.
My bicycling friend told 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.
We had coaxed our wives into driving us to Nashville and dropping us off at the northern end of the Natchez Trace Parkway. In hindsight, 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 home 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. 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. Though I have no recollection of it, I’m told that I slept for 12 hours straight that evening.
The next morning 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. While infinitely smoother, it was also 15 degrees hotter. Having lost my peak riding form many years ago, 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 road. If the water could speak, I’m certain it would have called my name. So, 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 just as 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. Won’t you taste and see that the Lord is good!
Ken Askew
posted by TBC at
5/07/2009 05:21:00 AM
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