Curiosity got the better of two people from the cycling ministry, and we had to see if these tunnels are what people say they are. The research that was done prior to our trip said to bring a head light, an extra flash light, a cell phone, a fellow rider, and to not let the "creepies" settle in as you ride over 2 miles in the dark. Dark was an understatement as it was difficult to see your hand in front of your face even with fresh batteries in the head light.
I had to totally trust my cycling abilities and believe what I thought was smooth pavement in front of me. It reminded me of the scripture in Psalms where the psalmist wrote, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."
My path on November 7 was dark, very dark. My head light was a lamp unto my front tire, and I had to rely completely on feel for my bike. I had to put my trust in my abilities.
I began to think to myself how often I allow myself to be surrounded by complete darkness. Even then, my Savior is right there beside me leading me with a lamp bright enough for my feet, and just a little bit more of a glow to show me my path right in front of me. We rode just over two miles in darkness, but I could never see more than six feet in front of me. I never doubted though that we were going to reach our destination - the light at the end of the tunnel.
My friend and I made it through those 2.2 miles of darkness. We never stopped talking to each other, and I was not about to stop to see if I could make friends with the darkness, or whatever was looming inside.
One of the amazing things about God is that He knew that in 1968 that section of the turnpike was going to be shut down. He also knew that two guys would ride that road 40 years later. He also knew that the darkness of those tunnels would remind me that God is all we need to get through the darkest most lonely times of our lives. I only hope that whoever reads this report from the cycling ministry will find hope that God's Word is there to be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105).
More information about the abandoned section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike can be found at www.pike2bike.org
