Hope On Wheels

Epic accomplishments don’t preclude mundane daily necessities.

On the final day of the ride, after the celebrations and high-fives, we stopped at a small community hospital so I could use the accessible restroom. While Becky waited in the lobby, a group called her over and asked her to tell them about “Hope On Wheels.” Apparently they’d seen the trailer as we rolled into the parking lot.

So Becky told the story, and I approached in time for them to express admiration and astonishment. Then Becky’s phone rang and she stepped outside. They looked exhausted, and I asked what was happening.

This burly man and his two sisters came here eighteen days earlier when “Momma” suffered a stroke. After eighty-five strong, healthy years as matriarch, Momma lay incapacitated and weak. They wept as they verbalized the emerging reality that Momma might never be the same again.

They asked me to tell them about hope.

That’s the sort of situation in which platitudes and easy answers just don’t work. We talked about love and faith in the midst of this pain and the big guy whispered, “What can we believe when the docs say Momma probably won’t get better?”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen, but we know this—God’s taking care of her, right?”

He smiled. “You’re right, and she knows that. She knows Jesus is with her.”

He and his sisters were laughing through tears. “How many times did she sing about the ‘glory of heaven’?”

Then things suddenly got quiet again. They remembered where they were.

The man said, “So that’s hope?”

“Maybe that’s part of it, knowing God keeps His promises, knowing He’ll care for her no matter what. And knowing that He’ll care for you folks as well.’

I showed them the back of my bike jersey. They read it quietly: HOPE changes what’s possible.

The sisters shook my hand. The big guy hugged me, and as he leaned close I whispered, “Momma’s gonna be okay.”

“I know.”

That’s hope.

# # # # #

Over at Bouncing Back I just posted an update to my Semi-Regular Newsletter. I invite you to check it out.

Please leave a comment here.

If you’ve enjoyed the updates from Rich’s Ride, please check out my blog at BOUNCING BACK.
We’ve got a great circle of folks who look at living life on purpose and following Jesus in the real world. I hope you’ll join us.

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Convoy Of Hope

On Tuesday we were invited to the Convoy Of Hope headquarters in Springfield, Mo. This visit was another of the unanticipated blessings of this amazing trip.

We met many of the people who do the nuts-and-bolts work of this wonderful organization. We saw an operations center where worldwide developments are constantly monitored for potential problems. We saw trucks ready to roll if disaster strikes.

On one wall a map showed thousands of U.S. disaster responses and community outreaches; another displayed initiatives in 109 countries worldwide.

We toured a warehouse floor large enough to cover six football fields piled with donated food and supplies.

We visited a volunteer center that accommodates about 200 people. It’s filled at least once each week with folks who just want to help.

We spent some time contemplating a humbling mission and values we’ve seen acted out everywhere in this building.

We’ve always known how fortunate we were to be associated with Convoy Of Hope, and everything we saw today enhanced that sense. Contributing in some small way to their mission is an honor.

Everyone we met knew about Rich’s Ride. They thanked us for our efforts. They were very kind.

But they had it backwards.

# # # # #

If you contributed to Convoy through Rich’s Ride, thank you. Hopefully this post helps you get a sense of the tremendous work you’re supporting.

If you’d still like to contribute, please remember that all donations through our page are matched by corporate sponsors.

Please leave a comment here.

Inspired?

This chapter’s ended. People tell me they’re inspired.

I’m glad. That’s one of the thing I hoped to accomplish.

But I’m wondering exactly what it means.

“Expire” means to die, literally to exhale the breath of life. So “inspire” should imply inhaling life, breathing in something that’s life-enhancing.

I can’t imagine anything better than an endeavor that breathes life into others. It’s truly a humbling feeling. However, I’m left to wonder: inspired to do…what?

As a teacher I believed that learning had to involve some change in behavior. Simply knowing facts and formulas isn’t really learning if it doesn’t change the way students approach problems.

I think inspiration’s the same. If I’m inspired, shouldn’t something change? Shouldn’t I be inspired to do something different?

So today’s post is really a question—and perhaps a bit of a challenge—for you. If you’ve been inspired by the story of Rich’s Ride, has that inspiration prompted a change? Are you inspired to do something different?

# # # # #

Sunday I was invited to speak to HEC (Handicapped Encountering Christ) in New Orleans. We enjoyed a great discussion, but the real fun happened when we went across the street to show off the bike.

One young lady named Phong wanted to try it. Phong might be 4’8” tall, so we had some good-natured fun getting her on a bike adjusted for my 6’1” frame. But she managed, and soon she was zipping around the parking lot with a huge smile on her face.

“I gotta get one of these!”

I’ve been wondering this weekend about what’s next. Specifically, I’ve been asking if I could muster the courage to attempt something like this again.

Phong’s smile inspires me. It reminds me of the amazing people and the divine appointments we’ve experienced. It’s exactly what I needed to KNOW that I’m open to whatever’s next.

I’m inspired by all of you to listen and respond to God’s direction. Whatever’s next, if there’s the possibility of prompting smiles like this, I’m in.

You?

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Where’s Rich? Today This Week

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Finish Line

Pictures from the final day of Rich’s Ride.

Have a great weekend!

Next?

You probably expected to see Monte’s Thursday feature, but I’m borrowing his slot this week. He wanted to talk about love—we all need to hear about that, so I’ll work him in soon.

Today I want us to think a bit about what’s next.

In yesterday’s video I observed that this story doesn’t end at 1500 miles. Rich’s Ride was never about Rich or even about a ride. We’re all Together On A Journey Of Hope; this ride is a small chapter in the story of that journey.

A consistent theme during this trip has been “I wish more people could hear this story.” Well, I wish that as well. It’s not that I think I’m particularly special, because I’m not.

People respond to the notion of hope. They want to know that they can pursue dreams, even impossible dreams. They need to believe that it’s possible to get up when life knocks you down.

We’ve done twenty-six speaking events and talked directly to more than 3,500 people in groups from a dozen to eight hundred. There’s more on
the horizon, but that’s just a small drop in a very large bucket of folks who might benefit or enjoy or be inspired by this story. It’s a story we’ve all
written together, and now I’m asking for your help.

After a few days of R&R, Becky and I will drive about 1500 miles from New Orleans to Fort Collins. Wouldn’t it be cool to leverage that drive by sharing the story along the way?

If you know anyone who might invite us to speak that’s located near a reasonable path between those cities, please help us get that ball rolling.

Start planting seeds for future events. I’d love to take this message to anyone who’s interested. If you know a group who might be planning an event and inviting a speaker, please point them to us. I speak to many different groups, both faith-based and general in nature.

How about a conference or retreat? I’ve created a wonderful multi-session workshop that looks at adversity, hope, and dreams. It’s based around Jesus’ “I Am” statements in the gospel of John and encourages participants to answer some universal questions about God’s role in difficult circumstances.

Workshop participants will discuss, journal, and reflect on God’s desire for their lives. They’ll leave inspired to put the past behind and focus on the new things God is doing in them (Isaiah 43:18).

If we visited your community on this journey, perhaps you’d consider inviting us back for a deeper look at these important issues. If we missed you, maybe we need to plan an opportunity to meet.

Planning events like this requires…planning. So please begin considering how you might instigate the process of creating a remarkable event.

And … what else?

So many of you have done so much to make this project happen. We’ve attracted an incredible circle of people who believe in the message of hope and dreams. So as this chapter closes, what should the next one look like?

This isn’t MY project. It’s ours—we’re together on this journey, and I need some feedback on where we go next.

Leave a comment or send me an email and let me know how you see this remarkable story continuing.

Please leave a comment here.

* * * * *

We have about fifty miles to go on our 1500-mile odyssey. If all goes well, we’ll complete that goal and head into New Orleans on Friday. We’re working on a couple of events over the weekend, and looking forward to a day or two of rest. Then–we’ll see what’s next.

* * * * *

Over at Bouncing Back this morning I posted a follow-up to an article that generated a lot of comments here. I encourage you to drop over and check out One Soul.

* * * * *

Where’s Rich? Today This Week

Want to get involved with Rich’s Ride? Check here for some ideas. Send us a message, and consider riding along.
It’s going to be fun!

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Natchez Trace

I’ve enjoyed three days on the Natchez Trace Parkway. Come along and enjoy some of it with me.

If you can’t see the video, click here.

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Where’s Rich? Today This Week

Want to get involved with Rich’s Ride? Check here for some ideas. Send us a message, and consider riding along.
It’s going to be fun!

I’m doing a big project to share a big dream, and I’d love to have you along.
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I Can Do This

Wow.

There have been a number of times during the past seven weeks when “Wow” was the only reaction I could verbalize. Monday was such a day.

We spoke on Sunday at a historic church in Jackson, Ms. Afterward, a lady approached and asked if I’d do the same presentation Monday morning for Grace Place, their homeless ministry.

This was a tough-looking crowd. You expect that from seventy-five guys who spent a cold night in the streets. They showed up for a hot meal and a safe place to rest for a few hours, and some stranger with a weird bike wants to tell them about hope.

A few guys dozed—I’d probably sleep, too, after shivering through a night of fear and uncertainty. But as I began I found many eyes locked on the screen. It felt like they were searching for something they could embrace.

There’s a particular story I tell often when I speak. I’ve written about it before, so please forgive me if this is a repeat for you.

* * * * *

Leonard was tired of my endless complaining. More than a year after my accident I still invested more energy in seeking sympathy than working to get better. He was sick of my lousy attitude.

Leonard was the latest in a series of physical therapists who tried to help me adjust to life with paralysis. We had an unspoken agreement: they worked hard while I complained and made excuses for not working at all. Leonard tolerated this unproductive waste of his time for a few weeks, but as he got to know me his patience diminished.

Readers of Relentless Grace will recognize Leonard’s role in a particularly humorous and pivotal episode. However, his gruff wisdom impacted the unlikely outcome in many ways. One bit of insight altered my entire perspective on my injury.

One day as I complained about the physical tasks I couldn’t accomplish with my damaged body, he stopped and sat down in front of me with a blank sheet of paper. On one side he drew a circle around “10,000.” He said, “I want you to imagine that this circle represents all of the things you could do before your accident.”

Then he turned the paper over and drew a similar circle with a pie-shaped wedge removed. “You just lost a lot of things, and you may never get many of them back. But now you need to make a decision.

“You can spend the rest of your life griping about the two thousand things you lost, or you can focus on the eight thousand that remain.”

* * * * *

I asked if anyone had ever lost something. Every person in the room—except the sleeping guys—raised a hand.

I told them how I let my loss define me for a long time. I was the guy who couldn’t …

“Has that happened to you?” Again, every hand went up.

“How would it be different if you focused on what you CAN do instead of what you can’t?”

They got it. You could see it in their eyes.

I talked a lot about how it isn’t easy, there’s no magic solution, it ain’t going to change overnight. Then I asked if they thought my ride was easy.

“If an old, bald, crippled guy can do this ride, what can you do?”

We finished. Guys began to move around, look at the bike. One big man in a green sweatshirt walked directly toward me. I could see tears streaming down his cheeks. He leaned over and gave me a huge burly hug.

With his head next to mine he whispered, “I can do this.”

He stood and shook my hand, struggling to blink away the tears. In a strong, clear voice he repeated, “I can do this.”

Then he turned and strode out of the room.

Wow.

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Where’s Rich? Today This Week

Want to get involved with Rich’s Ride? Check here for some ideas. Send us a message, and consider riding along.
It’s going to be fun!

I’m doing a big project to share a big dream, and I’d love to have you along.
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Almost

I wonder how many dreams have died because someone gave up on the edge of success.

Last week I had a couple of tough days. I think Becky and I are both a bit road-weary. Hotels, packing and unpacking, adjusting to new food and new places and changing weather—it’s all gradually wearing us down.

None of that’s a surprise, and we’re certainly not complaining. This amazing adventure continues to reveals unexpected blessings, but it’s still a lot of hard work.

One day last week I actually let myself wonder what would happen if I quit. Would people be angry or disappointed? What if I had a really good excuse for stopping?

So you’re wondering why I’d even consider giving up when we’re so close. It’s a good question, and it’s also true that a definite finish line helps a lot.

But what if that finish line wasn’t visible?

Most dreams don’t have a well-defined end. You have an idea and you don’t know exactly where or when or even if it’ll become anything more. In the words of our official theme song:

You can chase a dream that seems so out of reach
and you know it might not ever come your way.
Dream it anyway.

“You know it might not ever come your way.” That’s the part that makes it so hard to “dream it anyway.” You do the work, make the sacrifice, and endure the doubt—all while knowing it might amount to nothing. And when the tough days come, you wonder if you’re Don Quixote tilting at windmills. You wonder if this is the time to quit. You wonder if you’ve crossed that invisible line between visionary determination and insane stubbornness.

And always there’s that “what if” hanging out there. What if it’s right over the next hill, just around the next corner?

I don’t have an answer. But I believe dreams are worth chasing.

After all, someone wrote a book about Don Quixote.

Please leave a comment here.

Where’s Rich? Today This Week

Want to get involved with Rich’s Ride? Check here for some ideas. Send us a message, and consider riding along.
It’s going to be fun!

I’m doing a big project to share a big dream, and I’d love to have you along.
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Rolling Fork

We spent last night in a hospital.

It’s not what you think. Nobody’s sick or injured. To explain I need to back up a bit.

We spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Greenville, Ms. Lisa from the Visitors Bureau got us two free nights at a local hotel and some wonderful southern cooking. As we left this morning Lisa called a friend named Meg in Rolling Fork.

Meg arranged to have us speak at the local school and promised to find lodging for Thursday night. That’s Meg along with Mark and Bubba outside a roadside store at a corner known as Grace. And his name really is Bubba—we had to meet one “Bubba” in Mississippi, right?

Turns out that the town has no accessible accommodations. It would have been easy to apologize and send us off to another town, but Meg was determined. So she called the administrator of the small community hospital, who offered to let us stay there.

I’ll confess that I wasn’t too keen on the notion of using a hospital room to replace a hotel. As I completed my ride in front of the hospital I was inventing excuses.

Then the welcoming committee showed up.

It started with a guy who followed me into town so he could make a donation. Then Sue and Jane appeared, telling us how excited the entire town was to welcome us. They ushered us inside to the room they’d prepared,  complete with goodie bags for Becky and me…and one for Monte!

The local newspaper reporter showed up to take pictures, and  several staff members stopped by to welcome us and tell us how great it was that we were visiting and speaking to the kids.

And just like that, we were guests at the Rolling Fork Community Hospital.

We were treated like royalty and welcomed as family members. We received several generous donations, met a bunch of lovely people, and were
given more food than we could eat in a week. They even did our laundry!

And we received several souvenirs reminding us that Rolling Fork is the birthplace of the teddy bear. Read the story here—it’s pretty cool.

So this morning we’ll talk to kids at the local school and encourage them to dream big dreams. Then it’s back on the bike and off to see what new adventures we’ll encounter.

I know it’ll be amazing, but Rolling Fork will be difficult to top. Thanks to Meg, Susan, and all the wonderful folks who welcomed us and made us feel at home—even in a hospital.

Please leave a comment here.

Over at Bouncing Back today I posted an article from the beginning of 2011. Knowing where Rich’s Ride has taken us, it’s interesting to review my thoughts at the start of the year. I invite you to drop over and take a look at Well Done.

Where’s Rich? Today This Week

Want to get involved with Rich’s Ride? Check here for some ideas. Send us a message, and consider riding along.
It’s going to be fun!

I’m doing a big project to share a big dream, and I’d love to have you along.
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Central Mississippi

The generosity of total strangers continues to overwhelm us.

We’re in Greenville, Mississippi—looking forward to a needed rest day Wednesday. The hotel owner offered us two free nights and a great local bar-b-que place fed us. Amazing.

At the restaurant the server asked what we were doing. Becky told her the story, and she left and returned with a handful of cash.

Through tears she said, “I want to donate in honor of my friend Chris.” She told us how Chris was paralyzed as a child, hit by a stray bullet in a senseless drive-by shooting.

“He needs hope. This story will help him.”

I don’t know what to do with stories like that. We’ve heard so many along the way, and each time I’m humbled and unable to find the right words.

Fortunately, in situations like that I don’t think words matter much.

* * * * *

Here’s some helmet-cam video and commentary from the trip north of Greenville. Come and ride along. Please excuse the abrupt ending–the camera’s memory card was full.

Please leave a comment here.

Where’s Rich? Today This Week

Want to get involved with Rich’s Ride? Check here for some ideas. Send us a message, and consider riding along.
It’s going to be fun!

I’m doing a big project to share a big dream, and I’d love to have you along.
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