Domestiques in Life

   I have spent quite a few hours over the past couple of weeks watching the Tour de France. There is no telling how much cumulative time I have spent watching those race stages over the past years, glued to the TV set, seeing life played out in the form of an endurance trial.

   I cannot imagine the training that goes into each one of those who race. Eight hour days alone on the road getting in shape physically and mentally for this race. But more than the training, the Race itself, with all of its challenges, becomes the life for each of its riders.

   This year I believe just short of 200 riders made up the field at the beginning  of Stage 1, and now there are those who have been injured in falls, or for other reasons, have had to abandon the race. The majority of the TV time has been spent on the leaders of the Race, or those who have the big names in cycling, but my attention has been drawn to those nameless others who are also no less dedicated to the sport and the race.

   Sure, there are these guys…

   But there are also many others riding in the peloton…

   And there are the domestiques…

   These are the guys that have a role to play for their teams, giving themselves for the benefit of the leaders of their team. These guys are good, they are elite cyclists, but they are also team players.

   I see them dropping back to help a team member that has crashed, even giving them their bike to continue on and not fall too far back of the field. I see them taking the bag of water from the team cars and moving back up to the peloton, passing out the bottles to the team members so they can stay hydrated for the hard work.

   I see these guys surrounding their team leader, keeping him out of trouble and in position to win a stage or shepherd his energy for the task ahead..

   In short, I see the mass of the Church, working in obscurity in many cases, so that the work of Christ can go forward. Without fanfare, without yellow jerseys, without TV time, but being faithful to the cause.

   Domestiques, the backbone and the glue that holds together the greater work, in life, in the Race, and in the Church.

   They are my heroes. those that I want to imitate.