"You can do it!"

The first hill was behind me, and I had just started up the final, long two-mile hill to home. But something was wrong. I had to stand on the pedals as the hill slope increased. The readout on the electrical panel showed that the bike was trying to recharge rather than helping me climb. Something was stuck. Instead of helping, the motor was braking. I tried everything – turning the motor off, gearing down, walking the bike up a steep neighborhood side street and shooting down to see if it would reboot, wiggling every wire, taking connections apart and putting them back together…

To no avail. A buff cyclist slowly pumped past me on his light racing bike and pulled out of sight. My electric bike weighs close to 40 pounds without extras. My panniers contained a heavy sweater, trousers, a jacket, papers, and office homework. My face turned purple in the 80o heat, with the usual white mustache of exhaustion.

Slowly, with the motor off and the lowest possible gearing for the steepest inclines (the lowest third of my bike gears aren’t set up), I climbed the hill. An hour later, I was finally going downhill, just a block from home. My muscles were aching when I pulled up down the driveway. I could hardly sit.

But I was right to tell myself, “You can do it!” when it seemed impossible. The effort reminded me of a 20 mile up-and-down jaunt in England on a lousy bike. I did that four years ago with about the same enthusiasm and effort. And lived to think about it today. Just goes to show that what doesn’t kill us makes us strong.

Read more:
*I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song, He has become my salvation. Psalm 118:13, 14 NIV

* I cry out to the LORD; I plead for the LORD's mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Psalm 142:1–3 NLT

*Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4: 15-16 NIV

*So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay.” Hebrews 10: 35-37 NIV