There’s no limit to what a committed, passionate group of people can accomplish when they trust God for the outcome.
Most of us don’t appreciate the long-term impact of our efforts.
I made a list of some people that might be touched by FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR ’14. It’s a lot bigger and much more interconnected than I imagined.
The kids at the Home of Home in New Delhi will receive food, lodging, clothes, shelter, education, staff supervision, medical care, and transportation for an entire year. They’ll be told about the ride, but likely won’t completely understand what it’s all about.
The Home of Hope staff will know people half a world away are partnering with them for a week. They’re doing difficult, dangerous work—knowing others are doing something sacrificial to support them means a lot. The money helps, too.
The people in New Delhi will never know about a bike ride in Colorado, but they see this project making a difference in Jesus’ name, literally in the heart of one of the darkest places on Earth. I believe we’re a small part of something much bigger than ourselves, and God is using our combined effort and sacrifice to do something good.
The riders are beginning to sign up. In a few months we’ll come together and discover that each has a unique, personal reason for making this commitment. During a week across about 500 miles we’ll laugh and sweat and sacrifice together as we become a team and individual stories form a common purpose.
The support team will perform all sorts of essential tasks. By the time we head down the road we’ll have folks from Texas to Wisconsin, New York to California (assuming they can get passports—just kidding!). Each of them, in turn, will tell their story in their own circles.
Rider sponsors will write small and large checks to help individual cyclists with fundraising. Each of them will learn a piece of the Home of Hope story. Only God knows how He’ll spread those ripples and use them to advance the Kingdom beyond what we’ll ever see.
Corporate sponsors catch the vision and help us get this project down the road. Beyond substantial support, the credibility of their brand draws attention and interest.
People we meet on the road want to know what we’re up to. We get all kinds of opportunities to share the story at gas stations, rest stops, and planned events. More ripples.
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It’s tempting to look at this project, see a relatively small, isolated team of riders. One might ask whether it’s worth the time and effort or wonder how much difference it really makes.
I have no idea how many people our ride will finally touch or how many dollars we’ll raise. Quite frankly, the numbers aren’t all that important to me. What matters about this sort of project can’t be measured on a scoreboard.
I also don’t care much about labels, but FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR ’14 is a mission trip. It’s one of those God-offered opportunities to step out of the comfort zone of everyday life and do something sacrificial.
When we do that, we don’t have to know how it’s going to turn out. That’s God’s job. It’s our job to do our best, follow Jesus, and trust. None of that’s easy.
That’s okay. It’s not supposed to be easy.
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