| New Derailer Installed
The bike sitting against the counter with a
conspicuous loose chain and
disconnected derailer.
The new derailer.
|
I was the first and only customer inside when Fred's Kawasaki & Bicycle Shop opened at 9 a.m.
The one man running the shop did not seem
overwhelmed and phased as I explained the derailer broke off my bike.
He promptly went behind the counter and came out with a generic derailer.
"Is this okay to you? I think it's the only one (we have) that will fit." he asked.
Okay? If you get this on my bike and it works, you bet it's okay!
This friendly man in his 40's, named Greg, did not mention the brand of
the bike or derailer at all. I received none the
standard answers I have heard in the past about derailers
and how finicky they are with fitting onto particular bikes.
Greg's supposed unawareness about derailers was a sweet ignorance:
He was simply going to put the derailer on with the "can do" attitude necessary
without worrying about technicalities that
larger bike shops elsewhere would likely grumble about, refusing to do the job.
I sat in the front of the shop for about two hours, similar to the
old days when men sat in a secluded hospital room as they
waited for the birth of their child. He and I engaged in
brief conversations as he worked on the bike, including my intention to ride across America and
and what it's like living in Blythe, but I did my best to keep
discourse at a minimum to not distract his work.
At one point, Greg had difficulty
turning one last screw, and he sent me down the street riding his old mountain bike
to an auto parts store to buy the particular tool.
As seen in the adjacent photo (bottom), Greg placed
a new derailer on there and after testing it out in the
parking lot, I was ready to pay him and be on my way.
Somehow, Greg mentioned God and I mentioned being
on a spiritual journey when we both realized we were Christians.
I elaborated more about what was behind that trip, namely 1) that
this was a dream I believed God had put on my heart
and 2) that I really needed a radical experience like this
to help me grow, get some answers to life's
questions and gain clarity about the direction I should take my life.
We immediately connected. Greg shared some personal challenges he was facing,
where he unquestionably needed God's help and direction,
and just like that, it was like two old friends talking and encouraging one another.
|
| Before peddling off, Greg and I prayed
for each other right there. He thoroughly covered various
aspects of my ride including safety, having wisdom and physical
strength and protecting my attitude from discouragement, and my spirit lifted.
My return prayer for him didn't seem like much, but I could not
remove the big smile on my face as we hugged and I went on my way.
Greg would be my first God-send on this adventure, and there was no
question in my mind that I needed to have a picture of him standing outside the shop. ;)
I know my concerns about this derailer
were legitimate, but in the end, as these kinds of crises often unfold in my life,
all of my worrying was pointless. It was nearly 11:30 a.m. when I got on my bike,
and I peddled with a
newfound joy. Oh my goodness, was I a happy bicyclist! My heart was renewed!
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