Tim and Debbie Bishop. Wheels of Wisdom: Life Lessons for the Restless Spirit. Open Road Press, 2016. See here to purchase the book.
Tim and Debbie Bishop married each other when they were in their
early fifties, and that was the first time that either of them was ever
married. Both of them have bicycled across the country together, and
this book is a collection of spiritual insights that they have gained
through this experience. They also work for the Hope Line, which offers
help to teens and young adults who are suicidal, addicts, or coping
with other problems. Their cross-country bicycling has promoted this
cause.
There are fifty-two reflections in this book, some of them written by
Tim, and some written by Debbie. They are written from an evangelical
Christian perspective, which maintains that one receives forgiveness of
sins by accepting the free gift of salvation that was made possible
through Jesus’ death on the cross. Each reflection ends with a Bible
verse and a series of questions to inspire reflection. The
substitutionary atonement appears twice in this book: once in a chapter
about hell, and another time in the epilogue, which is a Gospel
invitation. Most of the book focuses on other themes of Christian
living, such as God’s providence and provision and finding God’s calling
on one’s life. There are lessons in the book that can resonate with
secular-minded people, about facing worry, getting along with people,
and moving on from the past. Debbie brings in her experience in
twelve-step recovery. In some cases, their bicycling journey serves as
an allegory for a life or spiritual truth concerning life’s journey. At
other points, people they meet along the way inspire them to consider a
spiritual lesson.
One can probably read or hear the sorts of reflections that the book
presents elsewhere. While the book is not incredibly deep, it is still
edifying. It is evangelical Christian, but it has a friendly, inviting
tone towards those who may believe differently. The book has a
positive, uplifting quality, but it still acknowledges the challenges
and struggles of life. Both Tim and Debbie talk about their challenges
in being married, in light of their different backgrounds and
temperaments, and all of the previous years that they were single and
did what they wanted. They also discuss medical injuries that they
faced on their itinerary. The book gave a taste of the challenges that
cross-country cycling can present, including the threat of inclement
weather, hills, wild animals, and nightfall.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Bookcrash. My review is honest.