Rain Makes The Grass Green.

RAIN MAKES THE GRASS GREEN. But it made fans’ and competitors’ faces red with frustration at the 2003 Gravity Games Bike Street finals. A steady drizzle turned the Masonite course into a slip-fest. The competitors got in only one run before the weather made riding impossible.

Even though the event was cut short, Dave Mirra, Ryan Nyquist, Steven McCann, and the other riders gave the fans plenty of oohs and aahs.

Mirra rode home with the gold after scoring 94.2 points and standing up all his tricks—something he hadn’t done recently. Because the course was already getting a little slick in the first run, Mirra didn’t know what to expect. Add to that the fact that he hadn’t fared too well in recent street competitions, and he was as surprised as anyone about his placement. Mirra strung together a backwards 360 off the box and a single whip, double whip combination that left spectators slack-jawed. Then he pumped out a wallride to flare—something he’d never done successfully in competition.

Nyquist, a fellow Greenville, North Carolinian, ended up just a point away from gold. His 720 over the box, 540 on the quarterpipe, and flip over the spine were good enough for any highlight film. McCann rounded things out, pulling a 720 turndown along with other technical tricks to score 91 points and take third.

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POINT Bike street competitions are tough enough under perfect conditions. But a slick course can spell disaster. Although fans stayed out in the rain chanting, “We want bike,” organizers made the correct decision in calling the event after one run. The safety of the athletes was more important than a few thrills.

Safety is an important issue to God, too. He cares about our health. He watches over us every day. And he saves us from slipping into dangerous situations all the time. Because our heavenly Father controls everything, we’ll never know how important he is to our safety. The psalmist knew about God’s protection. He described God as our guard who never falls asleep.

GOAL! Think back on a time when God rescued you from a dangerous situation. Thank him for his never-ending protection.