When everything came to a halt this past spring, I sat in my chair in the front yard. I saw life unfold before me and began to wonder: how much do I miss of what God is doing when my day is filled with to-do lists and errands?

I started cycling about five years ago as a hobby. It has proved to be fun, challenging, and great exercise. Here are four connections I’ve seen between cycling and sanctification.

No tree thrives in an urban environment. No tree is at home in the middle of an utterly human landscape. At best a tree can hope to survive. A select few defy the odds and reveal to us bittersweet glimpses of their true nobility. They are the exception, not the norm. A city is no place for a tree. And here's why your city-soul ultimately longs for God.