Don't Waste The Coast

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"Now don't waste the coast on the way down. Keep peddling, even on the downhill. It'll make going uphill that much easier."

My dad's words echoed through my mind as I began to descend the small country back road hill on my two-wheeled bicycle. It felt unnecessary to continue moving my peddles as I coasted down the big hill, but I kept on it anyway. "Don't waste the coast." "Don't waste the coast." "Don't waste the coast."


As I finished my descent and proceeded to start up the next hill, I began to understand why my dad said what he did. By my peddling with the downward coast, I was able to contain my momentum enough to give myself a head-start on the next hill ahead of me. I was practically halfway up the hill before I even had to exert effort. Boy was I glad for my dad's advice as I crested that hill with my thighs burning slightly. Peddling through the easy stretch made the more difficult portion of the trip go a whole lot smoother!

That moment in history will be forever etched in my memory. It wasn't until recently, however, that the scenario took on a whole new meaning for me...

I have written post after post of encouragement during the hard times and periods of waiting. I have poured out my heart in honesty and hurt at different circumstances in my life. I've felt those feelings. I've cried those tears. I've hurt that hurt. I completely understand that place!

Recently, though, the Lord has been walking with me through a peaceful time. It has been a beautiful time of quiet and hearing from Him. The storms haven't been raging too fiercely, and the waves haven't been threatening to drown me. I've had a lot to Praise God for.

The other day I was thinking about all this and a thought just about hit me upside the head. "Don't waste the coast." I pictured myself as that young girl again, with a two-wheeler much bigger than she was, standing at rest at the top of the hill. I saw my dad, but this time I envisioned my Heavenly Father, standing beside me encouraging me to keep going forward. "Don't waste the coast" He said.

You know, everything has seasons. Businesses have a busy season and a slower one. Plants all have unique growing seasons where they produce the most yield and when they don't really. There are rainy seasons and dry seasons. Hot seasons and cold. Your faith-walk is no different in that respect. Sometimes you'll feel as though you're walking through the valley of the shadow of death, sometimes God will feel distant, and even still sometimes you'll feel very close with the Lord. That's just how the Christian life works.

No matter what season you're in though, there is work to be done. At no point in our walk with Christ can we sit back back on our pool floatie with a tall glass of sweet tea and just relax in the sun. In the hard times, the Lord is there giving us strength and carrying us through. In the moments of doubt, He is there whispering for us to open His Word and listen to Him speak. In the peaceful times He commands us "Don't waste the coast."

Even when our faith seems secure and our Lord feels near, there is work to be done. If we sit idly during these peaceful times, then we'll be ill equipped when a storm comes up again. It's like an army that recruits people, trains them, and then sends everyone home to chill and watch tv until they're needed. If suddenly war breaks out and each of those once-trained recruits is called up, they won't make for a very tactical team. Without routine drilling and regimented work-outs, the once fit and drilled recruits won't remain at the ready in the times of need.

Likewise, we as Christians need to remain at the ready- even in moments of serenity and closeness with the Lord. We need to be dedicated in our study of Scripture. We need to be immersed in prayer. We need to seek out Christian fellowship. We can't slack in our exercise of our Spiritual Gifts. And we should always be ready to take opportunities to share the Gospel. The dedication that we do during the times of closeness, the peddling that we do on the downhill, makes the uphill struggle- the trials and raging storms, that much more manageable.

So, to my friends in the midst of that struggle right now, I encourage you to hang on tight! The Lord will pull you through this. The uphill may be difficult, but there is always a peak to the hill.

To my friends that are at that crest of the hill, I encourage you to keep peddling! Don't allow the ease of the downhill to tease you into slack. If you blow your momentum, the uphill is harder than it needs to be. If the army is lax in diligent regiment, then they won't be ready when called for battle.

Don't waste your coast, y'all. Peddle on the downhill.