Gary Lewis: Riding for Eternity
Other than triathlon competitors or extreme enthusiasts, it’s hard to imagine many people being willing to ride a bike 300 miles in three days.
But that’s what happens every November. Leaders from the South Georgia District of the Church of God (Cleveland) cross the state on bicycles to raise money for missions. They’ll be making the trek again Nov. 6-8.
It’s literally and figuratively no walk in the park, which is why Gary Lewis—at the time state overseer—headed out in late May of 2021 for a practice ride of 25 miles. Near the end, somebody crashed into him.
To this day, he doesn’t know who hit him. He woke up in the front seat of a pick-up truck. He saw trash strewn around the floor and a bloody rash down one of his legs.
“You’ve been hit,” the driver told him. When Gary asked where the man was taking him, he replied, “To the hospital.”
“No, don’t take me to the hospital,” Gary said. “Just take me to my house. I live close to here.”
Bent Rim
Although he doesn’t recall much from that morning, Gary remembers asking if his bicycle was messed up. The driver said, “Your rim was bent a little bit.”
“A little bit?” Gary writes in He Still Walks on Water. “My bike was broken in half, with the back smashed and part of it broken off from the frame!”
That Gary, now general overseer of the national denomination, survived the crash is miraculous enough.
But what followed is a story so amazing it deserves a whole book. Despite his back being broken in three places and wearing a back brace for months, today he shows no ill effects.
Years ago, various Christian businessmen’s groups used to host meetings where speakers shared testimonies. Many churches did the same at Sunday or Wednesday evening services.
Were such testimony events still prevalent, Gary’s story would be the fodder for a national speaking tour. I learned about it doing developmental editing on his book, which released last spring.
God Has a Plan
Were it just an account of his mishap, He Still Walks on Water might be a much shorter volume. But the former pastor goes further, using his miraculous recovery as a springboard for a teaching about Jesus, based on Matthew 14:22-33.
The passage reviews how Jesus came to the disciples in the middle of the night. The sight of the Savior walking on water unnerved them.
In breaking down the text, Gary reviews such truths as:
- God has a plan for our lives.
Gary writes that a storm can be an integral part of it: “So, while we may not like the idea of rowing into the midst of chaos and disaster, we have to get in the boat.”
- Jesus is our intercessor.
For this point, he cites Mark 6:48, which says Jesus “saw the disciples straining at the oars” as they crossed the sea of Galilee. He was praying for them even then.
- God is always on time.
“No matter how long the storm lasts or how hard the trial, He is always working behind the scenes,” Gary writes. “He has not forgotten us or left us. Even when it doesn’t feel good, when it hurts, He is working it out for our good.”
Those words resonate with authenticity from someone who has lived through incredible pain.
Unfortunately, his duties in Tennessee mean he won’t be able to participate in this year’s ride across Georgia. But he will be inspiring others who have heard about how God came to his rescue.
