Crazy Cycling Chick by Tan Angeline;

Author:Tan, Angeline;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited

day 22 Encounter: Albert

I walked into a gas station just outside of Ordway after a fitful night of rest.

An elderly man looked at me and decided he would speak to me. Of course I had no idea then that he was an angel in disguise, sent to rescue a weary soul.

“Where are you going?” he asked, curious. I got the impression there wasn’t much cycling going on in this part of town.

“Virginia,” I replied, a little unenthusiastically. I had a lot on my mind as I ordered breakfast – I was struggling to find motivation to keep riding and was concerned about running out of funds before we got to Virginia.

“You mean you’re riding your bicycle to Virginia? Where did you start? Here?” He was really curious now.

“Oh no, we started in Oregon.”

“My word! That’s impressive, young lady! I can’t even drive that far, let alone cycle.”

I returned his compliment with a smile and was about to walk away when he went on, “See, I just had a heart bypass. Doctor told me I only have four months to live. Cycling that far will only kill me faster,” he chuckled to himself.

I stopped in my tracks and felt a pang in my heart. Here I was, worried about not completing the ride in 40 days, and here was a man, who had only four months to live.

We sat down to have breakfast together. He was a cattle rancher who owned several acres of farmland in Kansas where he worked his entire life before his health started failing. He had since passed the business on to his son. Even after his surgery with a few months left to live, he still goes to the ranch to work for several hours every morning. “You can take a horse out of the field but you can’t take the work out of the horse,” he told me.

The day we met was a Sunday.

“Are you going to work today?” I asked. “No, I’m going to church later.”

“Can I pray for you, Albert?”

He was caught by surprise. “Yes, young lady, that would be lovely.”

I closed my eyes, put my hand on his shoulder, and prayed for peace upon his heart to know that he was safe in God’s hands, and for a miracle to heal him and prolong his life.

My encounter with Albert taught me a valuable lesson: Live everyday as if it were your last. And until the last day, do what you love. Albert enjoyed working on the ranch. His health might fail him, but he would continue to do what he loved until the day he could no longer do so.

Walking out of the gas station, I resolved to enjoy the journey from there on, even if I did not have everything under control, particularly with funding.

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