The ride out to the north corner of Singapore introduced me to a surreal stretch with a four-lane boulevard, no traffic, and trees on both sides that provided a full canopy. As I turned and moved into this new path, modern day Singapore slipped back into another time and place. I found myself transported into the sixties when Singapore was a quiet off the beaten track oasis. I was sixteen. Everything was possible. I never imaged I would be in this space.
In that moment, everything was different. The tropical heat disappeared, replaced by a cooling breeze. The bright sun met expansive trees. It was instantly replaced by a vibrant lighting that gently invited one to move. My right hand rolled downwards; I wanted speed! The straight path of the bike morphed into a gentle weave left and right; this was fun! I had my bearings, I was in control, and I was in a new space and time.
As the trees gave way to the oppressive heat, I saw the path in a differently. Riding is more than getting from point A to B. It is a state of mind. It is a process where the journey is as important, perhaps more so, than the destination. While I could have taken the expressway, I had taken a road less travelled. What could have been a quick trip turned into an experience with emotions and memories that will carry on.
Today is an opportunity to open that door again. An old father spoke of his path. “I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!” (1 Corinthians 9.21-23)
There is a context to life. In it, we have the opportunity to choose. We hold more freedom than we realize.
