That’s What I’m Here For

“That’s what I’m here for.”

Okay, there’s a story behind that statement. FRONT RANGE FREEDOM Tour was a balancing act for me. I wanted to ride as many miles as possible, but I had to choose my spots so I didn’t slow the team down too much.

On Tuesday we rolled through Denver. The bike trails were great and I felt great when we hit the lunch stop right on schedule. I’d planned to stop there, because I knew the remaining miles were more difficult.

Sadly, enthusiasm overwhelmed judgment, and I became selfish. “I can do this.”

As the afternoon progressed I recalled the wisdom of my original plan. The trail contained several spots that combined sudden sharp turns with steep inclines. A number of times I slowed to a crawl.

At a few points I was literally stymied. Too steep, too narrow, turn too sharp for my bike’s long frame. Given sufficient time I likely could have rocked back and forth and eventually gotten past each obstacle, but I was frustrated, embarrassed, and angry at myself for making an impulsive decision.

Suddenly I felt a gentle push from behind. My teammate Jeff had hopped off his bike.

“Is it okay if I help a bit?”

This happened numerous times during the remaining miles as Jeff and Phil took turn helping me past similar obstacles. At one point near the end I was overcome by effort and self-consciousness. As Jeff helped me up yet another incline I gasped, “Thanks, man.”

“No problem. That’s what I’m here for.”

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When people ask why we do this stuff, we try to explain that it’s never about riding bikes. It’s not about miles or dollars, and when you really get to the core it’s not about human trafficking or any other social justice cause.

It’s about relationships, about people who are led by God’s spirit to serve and sacrifice with and for one another. God works through that sort of servant leadership in powerful, life-altering ways with ripples that touch people and places we never see.

We do what God puts in front of us and trust Him for the outcome.

That’s what we’re here for.

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