"The Muff"

growing up I always thought it a great pleasure to spend time with my brothers! all of them are a wee bit older than I and I have always looked up to them! most of my life has been spent trying to walk in their footsteps (both literally and figuratively, physically and spiritually) what they thought was cool I thought was cool! what they did I tried to do! I spent many summer days playing catch and Frisbee and "Arm Ball" with them! another thing my brother liked to do was go down hill cycling and mountain biking! as you can probably guess this enjoyment has rubbed off on me! 

I remember one almost-summer day, I say almost because I do remember walking home from school and barely having time to take off my back pack before my brother Neil told me to unlock my bike! He said we were going to go ride! I can't even begin to describe my excitement.... My older brother Neil was going to take me riding!!!! I threw my back pack on my bed (I remember because when I got home my homework had spilled all over my floor) Grabbed my helmet (safety first!) and unlocked my bike! It was a warm day and we rode toward the coulees! Keep in mind here I am about 9 or 11 years old at this time..... kind of a slow rider! nonetheless Neil rode right a long beside me and talked with me on our way! Needless to say I really liked that! well eventually we got to the coulees and the trail we were going to ride! I assume Neil observed my face as I remember feeling a little overwhelmed looking down at the trail we were going to ride on! however Neil gave me a little encouragement and shared a profound insight! "Tyson" he said "as long as you look at the head of the trail that is where you will go!" I must have looked confused again so he elaborated "if you look at the ravines, you will go into the ravines, if you look at a tree you will run into that tree. so watch the trail and you will be just fine" and then, as so often happened I was placed into a "learning on the job" kind of experience! Did I forget to mention this was my first time ever riding a down hill trail? well it was! and by the time I realized that Neil had already started down the trail! and about the same time I realized another thing..... with out him I didn't know where I was or where to go!!! so I was left in a dilemma. stay at the head of the trail and be "lost and gone forever" (at least in my mind) or take off down this trail and hope I survive! So I did what seemed like the best option, and started on down the trail! I remember the wind in my face and my grip on the handlebars! I remember hitting a few 1 foot drops and and rounding a few of the berms! I loved the ride!  filled me with adrenaline and excitement! The whole time I had Neil's words running through my head! Well he was right! There was a huge tree that grew right along side the trial! And I starred at it thinking in my head "don't hit it, don't hit it don't hit it" well I hit it and it left a big ole bruise on my hip! Of course by this time Neil was way in front and out of my line of sight and so I had no other choice but to get back on my bike and keep going! There was also a part of this particular trail that broke out into an open space on the one side! The open space lead right into a gully! I looked at the gully thinking about how much it would suck to end up in it...... Then I realized I was veering off into it...... Then I realized I Was in it! luckily there were just a few thorns, and burrs and twigs! I  picked up my bike and was able to walk out relatively unharmed! Again I got back up and began riding down the trail now with a more determined resolution to "watch the trail!" Eventually (and without further accident) I reached the bottom where I saw Neil waiting for me! I can only assume I was a little dirty from my attempt to tackle the tree, and must have had a few prickly friends from my encounter with the make shift half pipe because he reminded me "if you watch the trail you will never go wrong!" After that incredible ride I remember Neil getting us slurpees at 7-eleven! 

This experience helped me through many other life experiences! I learned the importance of looking at the "straight and narrow" trail! if we want to stay close to God we have to look towards him. Obviously not literally we would look ridiculous if we all walked around with your heads kinked upward! How do we look toward God? We can talk too Him, we can read His word, and we can go to His house of worship on Sunday! Doesn't sound to hard right? Well I learned another lesson that day! The dangers of looking of track! I know looking off track leads you off track! I have experienced that as well! It is so easy to take a glance off track and find yourself in a ditch and covered in thorns!  It is a slippery slope after that first glance off of the blazed trail! Been there done that! Not fun! However through the atonement of Christ we can recognize what we did wrong, correct it and get back on our bike and keep riding! Sometimes we may fall multiple times, however each time we can get right back up and continue down the trail of life! Each time we fall we can learn.... Finally after a few tumbles, falls and crashes, a few bruises, cuts and gashes we learn to WATCH THE TRAIL! When we apply this lesson, to watch the trail, and when life's trail ends we will find our elder brother, Jesus Christ waiting for us, and He will treat us to a reward far greater than any slurpee, far greater than anything found on this planet!

W.M.I.? WATCH THE TRAIL!!