Life is a journey and, in most cases, we decide where we want to go. Just like any other journey, we need to have a destination in mind before we pack up the car or pull out the walking stick, otherwise we just end up wandering around feeling lost. Once we have a destination in mind, then we have to plan out our journey and how we want to get there. Sometimes the journey from one point to another is easy. Other times it is arduous and makes us question ourselves before we can complete the journey.
Each person's journey is different and each person sees his or her journey in a different way (and others may not perceive your journey as you do). For example, some people are perfectly happy where they are. Others know exactly what they want and focus on getting to the end without worrying about the journey itself. Some raise their sails and let God (or the wind) guide them. Some run from place to place and never figure out where they want to be. Some only dream of moving on but never do.
I picture my journey through life as a trip across a vast map. I pick the next place I want to be and then I figure out how I want to get there. Do I drive? Walk? Take the scenic route or run at an all out sprint? Do I carry my old baggage with me or start anew? Most of the time it depends on where I start from and where I am going, who is going with me, and what sacrifices I have to make along the way (some are known before the journey starts and others pop up unexpectedly along the way). During this journey there may be a point where I change my mind about the destination or I realize that I was not fully prepared to reach the destination and I have to make changes. Do I make mistakes? Of course, we all do. That's normal. That's life.
The problem is that some people are afraid to move to the next stop in their journey. I know I have been at times. Sometimes it is not the destination nor the fear of actually making the journey, but the sacrifices that keeps us from take the chance. Sometimes it is the fear of the unknown that holds us back. Sometimes, unfortunately, the doubts of others can hold you back.
Regardless of where we start and end our journeys, there WILL be a start AND an end. We have been giving the opportunity, in most cases, to decide for ourselves where we end. The only thing in life that really scares me is getting to the end of my journey and looking around realizing I could have reached my goals but didn't.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Things I've learn while riding...
1 – The paint on the painted lines and crosswalks on the road is thick enough to be felt. And it gets slick if it's wet.
6 – Check your bike before and after each ride for any mechanical issues.
2 – Road kill does not smell nearly as bad as it looks. I have no idea how it tastes.
3 – Seeing pets that have been hit it the road is sad.
4 – For every hill you get to coast down, there always seems to be an evil twin that you have to climb.
5 – Learning your gears will make climbing those hills much easier and your legs will thank you. (note – if your legs or any other body part speaks to you during a ride, pull over and call a cab because you have obviously ridden too far.)
6 – Check your bike before and after each ride for any mechanical issues.
7 – Carry a spare tube and know how to change it. Having to call home for a ride is embarrassing.
8 – Most dogs will only bark at you as you ride by their yards. As long as you don't make faces at them, they probably won't bother you.
9 – For that one mean dog you will eventually ride past, a good squirt of water from one of your bottles seems to work well and is safe for the dog.
10 – Always have plenty of water. Better to have a bottle that does not get used than to run out. This is a lesson learned the hard way. Being dehydrated is no fun.
11 – Don't ride too close to the white line on the edge of the road. Cars will try to pass without moving over and the road edge is usually the roughest part.
12 – Don't ride too close to the center line. You will get cursed at by little old ladies who are late for church services. (The has actually happened to me.)
13 – If your toes keep going to sleep then your shoes might be to tight.
14 – Always take a day or two each week to rest. The body needs to rebuild muscle after working out.
15 – Always use a rear view mirror. Not only can you see cars coming up from behind but you can usually see if they are going to wait for a good time to pass or if they are going to zoom right by.
16 – Find a good local bike shop and get to know the people who work there. Ask LOTS of questions and listen to them when they give you advice. They tend to know what they are doing.
17 – Get a bike fitting. No amount of money or cool equipment will make a bad fit into a fun ride.
18 – Find buddies to ride with. It is much more fun than riding alone.
19 – Ride in organized rides. There is usually one somewhere nearby every weekend during the summer. You'll meet new riders and the money raised goes to a good cause.
20 – Some rides are for fun and some rides are for training. If it's a training ride, then ride hard and push yourself past your comfort zone. If it is a fun ride then have fun.
21 – You will, at some time or another, swallow a bug. The smaller they are the less yucky they taste.
22 – Pretty clothes and fancy gadgets will not make you faster.
23 – Most of the drivers on the roads are polite and respectful of cyclists, but there will always be the few who pass too close, pull out in front of you, or honk their horns. Just be ready.
24 – Headwinds are like campfire smoke. Regardless of the direction you are riding in, it seems to always blow right in your face.
25 – Always wash out your water bottles after each ride. Water should not be green and chunky.
26 – If it is not a timed event then you do not need to worry about where you finish.
27 – There are miles and miles of back roads in Randolph County that are great for cycling.
28 – EVERY road in Randolph County has at least one hill on it. Some are worse than others.
29 – Use sunscreen. Unless you enjoy looking like a backwards raccoon with tan arms and non-tan hands.
30 – I still have much, much more to learn...
Life is not a race. Enjoy the ride.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Tour de Furniture
The weather for the ride this morning was absolutely perfect as we lined up at the mall to begin. I have no idea what the exact number of riders participating in the Tour de Furniture turned out to be but I would guess there were at least several hundred. They divided us up into four groups (100K, 50 mile, 50K, and 10 mile riders) and had a staggered start to allow the 100K riders to leave before the rest of us. When the 50 milers (my group) left I tried to stay with the main group. My goal was to simply finish but I wanted to best my previous time by at least 15 minutes. I do not consider myself a competitive person, but I could not help trying hard to stay near the middle of the group.
Once we left the mall parking lot and started up Johnson Street, I started looking for someone in the group who seemed to be in about the same physical shape as I was. I figured if I did that, and stuck with them, I might fair better. So, using this strategy, I picked out the old gentleman I saw hobbling across the parking lot during check-in. He looked to be about 95 years old. I set myself to the task of staying right on his rear wheel. This worked well for the first ten miles. Then, ever so slowly, I started slipping towards the back of the main pack. Before I knew it the main group, and my 95 year old lead man, were slipping away. I never did see that guy again after that.
As rider after rider began to fall off the back of the group, I ended up riding in a long string of about 20 riders. I would pass a few going down the hills (thanks to gravity and an extra few pounds) but they always passed me back before we crested the always accompanying climb on the other side. Each time it seemed like I would slip back another spot or two in the line of riders. Soon we reached the first rest-stop. A sight for sore... well anyway they had cold water. I refilled my water bottle with cold water and took about 5 minutes to catch my breath. Most of the 50 milers stopped in here and the rest-stop was pretty crowded. I decided not to doddle and used this as a chance to get ahead of some of the riders who had passed me earlier during the ride. Big mistake...
The route was fairly well marked (thanks to the local Boy Scouts) but the arrows were very small, about 3-4 inches long, so you really had to pay attention to keep from missing one. Not missing a turn while riding with the group was easy, you simply turned where they turned. Riding this ride alone was more akin to a scavenger hunt and, of course, I missed a turn. I only went about a tenth of a mile out of the way because luckily I remembered seeing the name of the road we were to turn on and stopped to checked my cue sheet to make sure. Anyway, once back on track, I forged onward.
As the morning wore on, the Sun stayed out and the temp stayed in the lower 80's. Very nice. To bad the head-winds didn't stay away. I never thought the wind would make that much difference, but riding head long into it will drain your energy worse than most hills. By this time the group was fairly well spread out. I could see a few in the distance ahead and a few more in the distance in my rear-view mirror. We were about 40 miles in and I was making decent time (avg about 16 mph so far). Then the clicking started...
I tried to ignore it, thinking it was just my over active imagination and fatigue but it kept getting louder. I found a nice place to stop (the church at the intersection of Bunker Hill road and Hwy 66) and pulled over about mile 42. I didn't see it at first but while sitting on the cobble stone wall finishing the last of my plain water, I saw the spoke sticking out. I tried to reinstall it but the little cap had fallen into the interior of the wheel and I couldn't get to it. 42 miles, 8 to go.
Within minutes a ride volunteer stopped and asked if I needed help. He called a SAG wagon and I waited for them to come get me. They offered to take me the last few miles to the finish so we loaded up the bike and headed back towards the mall, stopping at the intersections along the way to deliver cold water to the policemen working traffic for the ride. After arriving at the mall and unloading everything, I got my free Subway sub and enjoyed the ending of another great event. I am not disappointed that I did not finish the full distance. I had reach my goal of 50 miles a few weeks ago during the Operation Red Sleigh ride and I had a great time today.
Life is not a race. Enjoy the ride.
Once we left the mall parking lot and started up Johnson Street, I started looking for someone in the group who seemed to be in about the same physical shape as I was. I figured if I did that, and stuck with them, I might fair better. So, using this strategy, I picked out the old gentleman I saw hobbling across the parking lot during check-in. He looked to be about 95 years old. I set myself to the task of staying right on his rear wheel. This worked well for the first ten miles. Then, ever so slowly, I started slipping towards the back of the main pack. Before I knew it the main group, and my 95 year old lead man, were slipping away. I never did see that guy again after that.
As rider after rider began to fall off the back of the group, I ended up riding in a long string of about 20 riders. I would pass a few going down the hills (thanks to gravity and an extra few pounds) but they always passed me back before we crested the always accompanying climb on the other side. Each time it seemed like I would slip back another spot or two in the line of riders. Soon we reached the first rest-stop. A sight for sore... well anyway they had cold water. I refilled my water bottle with cold water and took about 5 minutes to catch my breath. Most of the 50 milers stopped in here and the rest-stop was pretty crowded. I decided not to doddle and used this as a chance to get ahead of some of the riders who had passed me earlier during the ride. Big mistake...
The route was fairly well marked (thanks to the local Boy Scouts) but the arrows were very small, about 3-4 inches long, so you really had to pay attention to keep from missing one. Not missing a turn while riding with the group was easy, you simply turned where they turned. Riding this ride alone was more akin to a scavenger hunt and, of course, I missed a turn. I only went about a tenth of a mile out of the way because luckily I remembered seeing the name of the road we were to turn on and stopped to checked my cue sheet to make sure. Anyway, once back on track, I forged onward.
As the morning wore on, the Sun stayed out and the temp stayed in the lower 80's. Very nice. To bad the head-winds didn't stay away. I never thought the wind would make that much difference, but riding head long into it will drain your energy worse than most hills. By this time the group was fairly well spread out. I could see a few in the distance ahead and a few more in the distance in my rear-view mirror. We were about 40 miles in and I was making decent time (avg about 16 mph so far). Then the clicking started...
I tried to ignore it, thinking it was just my over active imagination and fatigue but it kept getting louder. I found a nice place to stop (the church at the intersection of Bunker Hill road and Hwy 66) and pulled over about mile 42. I didn't see it at first but while sitting on the cobble stone wall finishing the last of my plain water, I saw the spoke sticking out. I tried to reinstall it but the little cap had fallen into the interior of the wheel and I couldn't get to it. 42 miles, 8 to go.
Within minutes a ride volunteer stopped and asked if I needed help. He called a SAG wagon and I waited for them to come get me. They offered to take me the last few miles to the finish so we loaded up the bike and headed back towards the mall, stopping at the intersections along the way to deliver cold water to the policemen working traffic for the ride. After arriving at the mall and unloading everything, I got my free Subway sub and enjoyed the ending of another great event. I am not disappointed that I did not finish the full distance. I had reach my goal of 50 miles a few weeks ago during the Operation Red Sleigh ride and I had a great time today.
Life is not a race. Enjoy the ride.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Time to get serious...
There are 8 weeks until I start my week long "Mountains to Coast" cycling adventure across the wonderful state of North Carolina and with summer classes coming to an end, the time to start getting everything ready has come. There are reservations to make, camping equipment to purchase, supplies to gather, and training plans to follow to make sure that I not only complete this epic adventure, but enjoy it as well. I have put off doing most of this until now so that I could concentrate on school and work and so that I could research equipment, supply lists, and just ride. We are still raising money in memory of Jimmy Meris. You can find more information and make donations here. Between this site and sign-up sheets at work, we have raised about $300 so far.
I have compiled a 8 week training plan from the materials available online at Cyclo-CLUB and plan to drop at least another 25 pounds before the ride. I am not interested to how fast I ride from town to town, but I certainly need to work on my climbing ability or I will not even make it out of Asheville, so a big part of my training will be working on hills. I guess I should know Caraway mountain fairly well by the end of the summer. :-)
As for the schedule of the ride, the first day, Sept 25th, we will spend enjoying the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC and spend the night camped on the estate grounds. Then, on Sunday, we start riding towards the coast, covering from 40 miles to as much as 80-85 miles on the longer days. After leaving Asheville and tackling the mountains, we will spend the next night in Marion. From Marion we go to Hickory and leave the larger climbs behind, settling into the foothills. After Hickory, we stay in Mooresville, Albemarle, Laurinburg, and lastly Whiteville. Finally, on Saturday Oct 2nd, we will arrive at Ocean Isle Beach for the end of the ride. The organizers of this ride and the towns themselves have worked had to make sure that it is a safe and fun event. Depending on the town, we will be staying at YMCAs, high school gyms, college campuses, or even rec centers. There are also options for hotels every night but that takes away from the adventure.
The plan is for Joy to drive me to Asheville and spend the day with me touring Biltmore Estate and the surrounding area. Then she will return home for the week and then meet me the following weekend in Ocean Isle. We have not spent that much time apart in a very long time. I think that might just be the hardest part of this trip.
What am I expecting? I am certain I will see the state in a new light and I plan to use this time alone on the bike to learn more about myself and the time in camp to make new friends. I expect at times to be exhausted. I expect at times to be elated. I expect in the end to be changed.
I have compiled a 8 week training plan from the materials available online at Cyclo-CLUB and plan to drop at least another 25 pounds before the ride. I am not interested to how fast I ride from town to town, but I certainly need to work on my climbing ability or I will not even make it out of Asheville, so a big part of my training will be working on hills. I guess I should know Caraway mountain fairly well by the end of the summer. :-)
As for the schedule of the ride, the first day, Sept 25th, we will spend enjoying the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC and spend the night camped on the estate grounds. Then, on Sunday, we start riding towards the coast, covering from 40 miles to as much as 80-85 miles on the longer days. After leaving Asheville and tackling the mountains, we will spend the next night in Marion. From Marion we go to Hickory and leave the larger climbs behind, settling into the foothills. After Hickory, we stay in Mooresville, Albemarle, Laurinburg, and lastly Whiteville. Finally, on Saturday Oct 2nd, we will arrive at Ocean Isle Beach for the end of the ride. The organizers of this ride and the towns themselves have worked had to make sure that it is a safe and fun event. Depending on the town, we will be staying at YMCAs, high school gyms, college campuses, or even rec centers. There are also options for hotels every night but that takes away from the adventure.
The plan is for Joy to drive me to Asheville and spend the day with me touring Biltmore Estate and the surrounding area. Then she will return home for the week and then meet me the following weekend in Ocean Isle. We have not spent that much time apart in a very long time. I think that might just be the hardest part of this trip.
What am I expecting? I am certain I will see the state in a new light and I plan to use this time alone on the bike to learn more about myself and the time in camp to make new friends. I expect at times to be exhausted. I expect at times to be elated. I expect in the end to be changed.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
James Richard (Jimmy) Meris
Jimmy Meris of Trinity NC ended his battle with Leukemia on July 17, 2010 at Baptist Hospital with his family by his side. He was born August 28, 1961 in Guilford County to Frank (Tuberose) and Frances Meris both of whom preceded him in death as did a brother Ronnie Lee. His remaining surviving brothers include Ray Meris and girlfriend Ruth Inman, William (Butch) Meris and wife Becky, Rickey Meris and wife Sherry, and Frankie Meris. Also, a sister Barbara Royal and husband Darrel remain.
In 1984, he married Wendy Boles and gained another family. In 1989, he welcomed his only child into the world, Brittany Lauren Meris. Lauren was the light of his life and he was so proud of her. Also surviving are Cindy Beeson and husband Jimmy, Luann Hubbard and husband Kenny and Karen Gillitzer whom he called his "Ice Lady" because in the last days that is what he could eat. Also surviving in both families are a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews, aunts and cousins. Lastly, he leaves behind his beloved "little girl" Tinkerbell. He was never sure whether she thought that she was a human or he was a big dog, either way she is mourning his loss.
Jimmy enjoyed people,rarely meeting a stranger. Some he asked to be mentioned were friend and brother Kenny Hubbard, who took him hunting, Don and Lydia Bulla and their daughters, who kept his spirits high especially during his multiple hospitalizations, Danny Pope, he loved the guy time at the tire shop, Chris, Lynn, Lib, Ronald, and Deanna Kennedy along with Ray Bunn who took care of the home place while we were away.
While in the hospital in Nov,2009, Jimmy had cardiac arrest and was revived and it changed his life. He was able to share his story with so many people. Jimmy had faith in God as a little child and numerous times through his journey, he was comforted by angels. Jimmy was not afraid of dying, the mystery had been taken away. He knew where he would go. Jimmy loved God and thanked Him for all HE had done. Instead of being comforted about his departure, he was the one doing the comforting of others.
He wanted to thank Dr Lenny Peters and Amanda Taylor along with the staff of Bethany Medical Center and Peters Medical Research for the support that was given to him and his family during this journey. Also, thank you to "his girls" the nursing staff of 9 North at Baptist hospital. They treated him like family and we appreciate so much their love and kindness. Lastly, Dr Tim Pardee and Dr Leslie Ellis for doing battle against the beast called Leukemia. Your efforts will never be forgotten.
"Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling," 2 Corinthians 5:1-2
Jimmy's life and faith will be celebrated on Monday night at Davis Funeral from 6-8pm and his body will be laid to rest at Floral Garden on Tuesday at 11:00 am
In 1984, he married Wendy Boles and gained another family. In 1989, he welcomed his only child into the world, Brittany Lauren Meris. Lauren was the light of his life and he was so proud of her. Also surviving are Cindy Beeson and husband Jimmy, Luann Hubbard and husband Kenny and Karen Gillitzer whom he called his "Ice Lady" because in the last days that is what he could eat. Also surviving in both families are a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews, aunts and cousins. Lastly, he leaves behind his beloved "little girl" Tinkerbell. He was never sure whether she thought that she was a human or he was a big dog, either way she is mourning his loss.
Jimmy enjoyed people,rarely meeting a stranger. Some he asked to be mentioned were friend and brother Kenny Hubbard, who took him hunting, Don and Lydia Bulla and their daughters, who kept his spirits high especially during his multiple hospitalizations, Danny Pope, he loved the guy time at the tire shop, Chris, Lynn, Lib, Ronald, and Deanna Kennedy along with Ray Bunn who took care of the home place while we were away.
While in the hospital in Nov,2009, Jimmy had cardiac arrest and was revived and it changed his life. He was able to share his story with so many people. Jimmy had faith in God as a little child and numerous times through his journey, he was comforted by angels. Jimmy was not afraid of dying, the mystery had been taken away. He knew where he would go. Jimmy loved God and thanked Him for all HE had done. Instead of being comforted about his departure, he was the one doing the comforting of others.
He wanted to thank Dr Lenny Peters and Amanda Taylor along with the staff of Bethany Medical Center and Peters Medical Research for the support that was given to him and his family during this journey. Also, thank you to "his girls" the nursing staff of 9 North at Baptist hospital. They treated him like family and we appreciate so much their love and kindness. Lastly, Dr Tim Pardee and Dr Leslie Ellis for doing battle against the beast called Leukemia. Your efforts will never be forgotten.
"Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling," 2 Corinthians 5:1-2
Jimmy's life and faith will be celebrated on Monday night at Davis Funeral from 6-8pm and his body will be laid to rest at Floral Garden on Tuesday at 11:00 am
Pennies for Jimmy (bike ride)...
When I joined FaceBook originally it was to more easily stay in contact with Landon, Miranda, and Jessica (our kids), not so much to keep an eye on them, but to stay up to date on the events in their lives that were important enough to share but not important enough to call home about. Over time I have reconnected with old friends, made new friends, and learned a lot of really cool things about the people in my life. I have even been able to mend a burnt bridge or two from the past and to start building a network of contacts for my future in teaching.
When I started riding last year I was instantly hooked. One of the very first things I started day-dreaming about was riding a long distance over a period of a few days. I even posted (a long time ago) that I wanted to ride in the Crossing North Carolina cycling event and now I am. This is an organized event covering 400+ miles and taking seven days to ride from the mountains to the beach. There will be quite a few people riding so it is not just me hoping on my bike and trying to ride from Asheville to the beach.
Not too long after I decided to ride in the event this fall, I learned about Jimmy Meris's fight with Leukemia and contacted the family about using the ride to raise money and awareness and possibly to help support them during this long battle. Unfortunately Jimmy has lost his battle and passed away late yesterday afternoon (July 17th) due to complications from the intensive dosage of chemotherapy needed to battle the aggressive cancer.
We are still accepting donations for Jimmy at http://meris.chipin.com/jimmy-meris. This site will allow you to make a donation via PayPal and every penny raised will go to the family. If you donate one penny for every mile I ride, that is only $4.00. That's not much but it adds up, so every donation helps. For those who have donated already, we thank you. For those thinking of donating, please do. Showing your support means a lot, sometimes more than you might know.
I will post updates about the ride, training rides, pictures from the ride, etc. as things progress. If anyone is interested in participating in the ride, helping to raise donations, or just riding together sometime, please feel free to contact me. I would enjoy the company.
When I started riding last year I was instantly hooked. One of the very first things I started day-dreaming about was riding a long distance over a period of a few days. I even posted (a long time ago) that I wanted to ride in the Crossing North Carolina cycling event and now I am. This is an organized event covering 400+ miles and taking seven days to ride from the mountains to the beach. There will be quite a few people riding so it is not just me hoping on my bike and trying to ride from Asheville to the beach.
Not too long after I decided to ride in the event this fall, I learned about Jimmy Meris's fight with Leukemia and contacted the family about using the ride to raise money and awareness and possibly to help support them during this long battle. Unfortunately Jimmy has lost his battle and passed away late yesterday afternoon (July 17th) due to complications from the intensive dosage of chemotherapy needed to battle the aggressive cancer.
We are still accepting donations for Jimmy at http://meris.chipin.com/jimmy-meris. This site will allow you to make a donation via PayPal and every penny raised will go to the family. If you donate one penny for every mile I ride, that is only $4.00. That's not much but it adds up, so every donation helps. For those who have donated already, we thank you. For those thinking of donating, please do. Showing your support means a lot, sometimes more than you might know.
I will post updates about the ride, training rides, pictures from the ride, etc. as things progress. If anyone is interested in participating in the ride, helping to raise donations, or just riding together sometime, please feel free to contact me. I would enjoy the company.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Am I my brother's keeper....?
I think we are. I think payer is a very powerful tool, but I also think that God expects us to help care of each other when we can. It doesn't take much. Even a kind word can change a person's day for the better. Even when we do pray we do not always see God's answer because we are willing to accept anything less than a hand delivered gift.
I heard this story a very long time ago (while in church, I think). I have changed the wording but the message is the same...
There was a massive rain storm in a small town and the land was beginning to flood. As some of the people were leaving town, they passed old man Jenkins standing on his front porch. He lived alone and was a very private person who did not trust others very much.
As the rain continued and the water began to rise a boat floated by and someone asked him if he needed a ride out of town. Old man Jenkins replied, "God will save me if I need saving!" So they left him there.
Later, old man Jenkins was sitting on his rooftop watching the water continue to rise. A small motor boat came by and asked him to get in. They were offering to take him to safety. Old man Jenkins again said that God would save him and waved them away.
The rain persisted and the water continued to rise. By now, old man Jenkins was standing on his chimney and the water was just about to reach his feet. Suddenly another boat appeared and they once again asked him to get in. Old man Jenkins once again shouted that God would save him and he waved the boat away, so they left.
Well, the flood got worse and old man Jenkins was eventually washed away and drowned. When he got to Heaven, he was grateful to be there, of course, but he was confused. "God," he said, "Why did you not save me? I prayed and prayed and you did not save me?"
"Well," God said. "I sent three boats..."
I heard this story a very long time ago (while in church, I think). I have changed the wording but the message is the same...
There was a massive rain storm in a small town and the land was beginning to flood. As some of the people were leaving town, they passed old man Jenkins standing on his front porch. He lived alone and was a very private person who did not trust others very much.
As the rain continued and the water began to rise a boat floated by and someone asked him if he needed a ride out of town. Old man Jenkins replied, "God will save me if I need saving!" So they left him there.
Later, old man Jenkins was sitting on his rooftop watching the water continue to rise. A small motor boat came by and asked him to get in. They were offering to take him to safety. Old man Jenkins again said that God would save him and waved them away.
The rain persisted and the water continued to rise. By now, old man Jenkins was standing on his chimney and the water was just about to reach his feet. Suddenly another boat appeared and they once again asked him to get in. Old man Jenkins once again shouted that God would save him and he waved the boat away, so they left.
Well, the flood got worse and old man Jenkins was eventually washed away and drowned. When he got to Heaven, he was grateful to be there, of course, but he was confused. "God," he said, "Why did you not save me? I prayed and prayed and you did not save me?"
"Well," God said. "I sent three boats..."
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