Tour de Smyrna

I was blown away on my birthday. A new tandem bike was not what I was expecting! Part of the gift included a date afternoon the following Saturday. Since the bike is difficult to transport, we decided to explore and ride along the Silver Comet extension, which crosses through our cul-de-sac.

It was a cold day for a ride. We bundled up and set out for our first destination: Mcentyre’s Bakery. This family-run business has been around since the 40s, and makes some delicious cakes and chicken salad croissants. We took our lunch to go and rode on to the lake at Smyrna Village for a picnic.

We weren’t sure how far we’d be able to ride (since our 30-year-old bodies aren’t what they use to be!), so we improvised the rest of our ride and found ourselves at a local favorite: Rev Coffee.

We had both been wanting to try a “new” coffee brewing method. Pour-over-coffee has been around since the 1950s, but recently made a come back. Rev has a pour-over for two (only 3 bucks!) so we tried it out. I thought it kinda went with the day… A bicycle made for two…. Coffee for two…. 🙂
.

During the ride I spotted an old van, which looked to be the exact make and model of the van my family had when I was 16. Seeing it took me back to the first time I drove completely by myself. After school I took the old blue Honda Previa van (which I remember being embarrassed that I had to drive!) to Cary Town Center Mall. What I remember most is not what I shopped for, but the feeling of freedom I had driving there being by myself.

Riding behind Brian in the tandem, feeling the chilly wind on the face, brought back that same satisfying freedom. I wasn’t in the driver’s seat this time, but was freed by willingly following another. I could trust Brian to carefully steer us and lead us where we needed to go. I had no will of my own. My contribution was pedaling at the speed and in the direction he picked.

How interesting that my definition of freedom completely flip-flopped. Giving up freedom to gain freedom. Sounds odd, but also makes perfect sense in God’s Kingdom. Consider the beatitudes, which at first sounded like polar opposites: the meek will inherit the earth? In the same way, The Lord calls us to yield our lives to Him. It truly “tis so sweet (and freeing!) to trust in Jesus.”

And so it was riding the tandem. We rode through the town together, me feeling free and nostalgic. What a joy it was to trust and follow my husband.