In 2023, I had the opportunity to travel to Colorado Springs, Colorado with my wife. She had mentioned that she had always wanted to see Pike’s Peak, the summit that is. I wanted to surprise her, so I rented a 2020 Indian Motorcycle, from a nearby dealer to take her up the mountain. I’ve owned and ridden different types of motorcycles over the years; with the latest being a Ducati Sport Tourer. That was powerful, light and nimble. Its controls were arranged to require only the minimum movement of feet and hands. The Indian, on the contrary was big, heavy and powerful. To contrast the two, I explained to my wife, that riding the Ducati was like driving a sports car; it was easily maneuvered and quick to respond to my direction. I went on to explain that the Indian was like driving a Mack® Truck. It was powerful, but moved slowly, like an ox.
I watched a motorcycle rider’s review of the road up Pike’s Peak on YouTube, just to get an idea of what I was in for. As I watched, it didn’t seem insurmountable; in fact, it seemed less intimidating than the road up Mt. Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, which I had driven up in a car.
We arrived at the dealer and in a short time we were on our way. Straddling the Ducati was straddling a bicycle, but straddling the Indian was more like straddling the ox I referenced earlier. I rode slowly at first and continued to ride up to the speed limit as I became more accustomed to the bike. By the time we arrived at the toll house of the road up Pike’s Peak, I was more comfortable with its handling and controls.
The road is 19 miles long, but because of construction on the summit, almost all vehicles were stopping at the parking area at mile marker 16. So, we started up the road through the forest and around several bends. We climbed through the miles and I still felt like a novice riding that ox. As we approached tree line, the curves became tighter and tighter, until it seemed like I could reach over and touch the taillight of the bike. Too much throttle on these bends, and I would be in the lane of oncoming traffic. Too little throttle, and the bike would dump. I then knew what was meant by a true tipping point!
Then we came to a point where the road was cut into the mountain on one side, and a long steep slope with no guardrail on the other. At this point, I should explain that I have a fear of heights, and seeing no mountain and no guardrail was making my mind wander into its “what if” zone. This is a zone in which my brain runs through all the potential scenarios: what if I don’t turn in time, what happens if there’s dirt on the corner of the road, what happens if another driver crosses the double line, etc. This is when I shifted my focus on the road ahead and aimed the bike between the lines. I went slow and steady. When we finally reached Mile 16, I parked the bike and took a few deep breaths.
We next stepped into a line for the shuttle to the summit. It was a school bus and the driver was very professional, explaining the history surrounding Pike’s Peak and its founder, as well as pointing out wildlife, (bighorn sheep!). What was going through my head, though, was, “How is he going to make those tight turns in this behemoth?” But, of course, he did it adeptly, just like the dozens of times he’d done before.
We arrived at the top and the clouds were literally just above our heads. We heard cracks of thunder in the distance, but not above us, they came from our left and right. That was weird. I instantly started thinking about the ride back down the mountain, and my brain kicked back into its “what if zone.” What if it started raining before I got down the mountain? Would I be able to control the bike? Would the road be slippery? Yikes!
Ok, Brain, stop panicking. It wasn’t raining. There are several other motorcyclists in the same situation as us.
Yes, but you’re not accustomed to this bike. What if….
Shut up!
I next addressed the Holy Spirit: “Please instill in me the confidence and fortitude to make it back down this mountain!!”
Silence. Calmness quelled my frantically stirring brain. I was now ready to face the challenge.
We climbed back onto the bike and headed down the mountain. Turn after turn I maneuvered the bike. On the way down, my nerves were more relaxed as the turns were more easily managed. While less scary, I still needed to be intently focused on the road and the bike. When we reached the bottom, I pulled the bike over and took a few minutes to relax. Thank you, Lord!
This ride forced me way out of my comfort zone. I wanted to bless my wife with this ride, and she was able to take in all the scenery on the way up and the way down. So I don’t regret doing it at all.
But, how was I able to do it? It was because I was pushed out of my comfort zone. Had I not been willing to stretch out of it, I wouldn’t have completed the ride, and my wife wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the expansive scenery.
God wants us to push ourselves out of our comfort zones. If we stay within them, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we stagnate. When we stagnate, we become complacent. When we become complacent, we acquiesce to laziness.
Have you wandered outside your comfort zone lately? It’s a scary place, sometimes. But, listen to what God says to Moses in Deuteronomy 31:6: “…Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” [NKJV]
In Psalm 23:4 David proclaims this: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” [NKJV]
We have at our disposal a tremendous offer of accompaniment. The Creator of all things, the Overseer of the Universe, the One Who willingly gave His life so that He could break the bond that death has on us; it is He Who will be beside us in all our trials. Trust Him more today and step outside your comfort zone.
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