Do you own a REAL bike?

Yesterday, I had lunch with a couple who comes to The Well.

They are really good friends and both extremely successful, faithful, . . . and healthy.

She has a full-time job, but works on the side as a fitness instructor.

She specializes in spinning--leading a few spinning classes each week at a local health club.

Spinning is an exercise experience during which a leader (more like a drill-sergeant)--on a stationary bike--leads a group of about 20-30 people--also on stationary bikes--through an intense workout in a dark room to the sound of loud music.

It's really fun . . .and really hard.

We were talking about Christmas and gifts and her fiance mentioned that one of his best gifts was a mountain bike. He and I talked about how much fun it is to ride bikes. His fiance spoke up mentioning that she's never ridden a road bike out on the road and doesn't even own a bike.

"What?!?" I replied.

"You teach spinning every week and you've never ridden a bike on the road?"

I tried to tell her what she's missing--limiting her riding experience to a dark room and a stationary bike.

She's never felt the exhilaration of flying 30 mph down a hill with the sound of the wind roaring off of your helmet.

She's never felt the excitement of an early morning ride with a chill in the air and the sun rising in the eastern sky.

She's never felt the pleasure of finishing a climb on a REAL hill and the relief of coasting down the other side.

Spinning is great, but nothing compared to riding a REAL bike on the open road.

How many of us limit our spiritual life to the confines of a dim room with worship music and a stationary pew? How many of us go to a church building every week for training, but don't put our training into action outside of the building during the rest of the week? How many of us don't own our own "spiritual bike"?

Going to church is great (and commanded by God!), but nothing compares to living a life of faith in the REAL world.