How a bike ride changed me

Every second Saturday, I drive to the doctor and the pharmacy to pick up a couple of prescriptions. Last time, though, other family members needed the car, so I decided to bike. 

It was a windy, rainy morning. I'm already a bit of a klutz and not great at spatial awareness, and I was getting kind of nervous. I wondered how I would cross the highway. What would it be like to navigate busy roundabouts, making the hand signals? Where would I park my bike?

Until I got to the highway and realized that someone had already thought to create a whole system for people who walk or bike. Every obstacle was anticipated. A clear, smooth path had been built for me. A bike rack was in place at my destination. 

I had never seen those things before from my car.

I wondered, “What else I am not seeing?” How does my easy, speedy life differ from what someone else might experience?

As I move through the world, others generally see me as an able-bodied, white, straight, married, American, Christian woman. The systems I live in are generally built to work fairly OK for people like me.

What are other people experiencing as they move through this world? How can I check that systems are in place to make smooth paths for you and your way of being? 

How can I get out of my own proverbial car, and even get off my bike, and step off the beautiful paths built for me to see what life is like for you? 

That’s what I’m so passionate about - creating communities of grace. Creating places where each person can be brave enough to be seen and known and loved. Creating spaces where we’re all filled with a desire to create a world that works for everyone. 

That's what I love so much about listening to all the stories of others. It's a special richness to learn what it's like for you, in your particular circumstances, to be in this world together. The path you are on, and your story, are so important. 

With love,