Chasing God and the Tour de France.
You see, I had this idea.
Well, to be more accurate, it was more a tapping on my conscience by God.
My mind was a kaliedescope of images, names, places, and dates.
The greatest cycling event on earth was tantalisingly just around the corner.
Twenty-three days in July.
Twenty-one days of racing. Over 3,000 kilometres. With only two rest days.
9 mountain stages. 10 sprint stages. 2 timetrial stages.
Unprecedented coverage for a sporting event – online, tv, radio, newspapers and magazines.
And I would be devouring as much of it as I could!
But that nagging voice at the back of my mind was asking, ‘So – how much time will you spend thinking about God, reading your Bible, and focusing on your faith in all of that?’
And that’s where it all started.
Chasing God and the Tour de France.
The idea for the title came from Martin Dugard’s excellent book ‘Chasing Lance’, where he followed Lance Armstrong’s attempt to win his 7th straight tour crown.
If you don’t follow cycling then you may be pleased to know that he achieved his aim.
With that in mind I adapted the title, mainly because it seemed apt, but also thinking that some of Armstrong’s drive and determination might rub off on me.
More importantly it is a good reminder to me that I should be ‘chasing God’.
Active. Persistent. On the straight. Up hill. On my own, or with others.
The race leader in the Tour de France wears a yellow jersey. Chris Boardman – British Olympic gold medalist and Tour stage winner – asserts that ‘yellow is a state of mind’.
Well, God is a state of mind also.
Are you wearing the faith equivalent of the yellow jersey? No matter what the terrain, flat or uphill, you always have your faith at the front of your life?
Or do you wear the King of the Mountains polka-dot jersey? Is your faith most apparent when the going gets tough?
Or do you wear the Sprinters green jersey? Is your faith most apparent on the relatively flatter stages of life?
Chase God and wear yellow.
