The amazingly beautiful and picturesque road to Mae Hong Son is known as the road with 2000 curves. It requires patience, skill and more than a bit of foolishness . . . especially when we cleared the first humongous mountain range and started down the other side and discovered that my brother had no rear brakes on his bike! And he was riding double! Needless to say this is a recipe for disaster.
So we stopped and I took the passenger, and allowed my brother to lead at a speed that felt and was, less lethal. We were about 17 kilometers from Pai and so our goal was to reach a motorcycle shop without dropping the bike, or going off the road into one of the ravines. I on the other hand, was struggling with a second rider . . . which greatly affected how my bike was handling and to be honest, my brakes aren't the greatest in the world either.
Long story short, we found a bike shop, he changed the brakes, and off we were again on our wild adventure on the 2000 curve road.
As the afternoon progressed, I could not help but think that my life is much like this 2000 curve road. It has shifted direction and focus and passion and means and methods and priorities and resources at least 2000 times. And admittedly, there are stages of this life where I seemed to be headed downhill into lethal curves with no brakes with which to stop or even control the pace at which I move.
I also was wondering if I kept good brakes on my life, would I have chosen the same paths that I have thus far, or would I have chosen a different road here and there had this life a more controlled pace? On the other hand, I am fairly certain that far less would have been accomplished in my life to-date, had I stopped and thought about it too much.
Every curve is different. Each one has risks and thrills. Each one is potentially lethal. Each one can take you to a breathtakingly beautiful vista.
2 comments:
That I comment way too much is one of my failings, but I couldn't help this one, as it is a lesson learned from you, the revved up Rev. And the Spirit is dealing with me so much these days about one thing-my pride. The 2000 curve road to me is choosing to love God and other people. The thing that stood out to me is, on this particular journey you took precautions to be as safe as possible and used wisdom with your speed, but you still took the road. You didn't cry on the side of the it or turn back. I feel like some of my greatest spiritual journeys have happened by default. I was put on the road, but then, it's the decisions from there that determine our view. The risk in continuing is potential pain, always, but I see in your life that you do it anyway regardless. The courage to go on is often found in the example of other faithful people.
I quite like the dead end roads that give you an other perspective on things when you are on your way back.
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