TMI–we’re buried in an ever-increasing flow of information.
Perhaps as little as 100 years ago an educated person might know most of the important information accumulated by civilization. Today that’s ridiculous as access to facts increases exponentially.
Funny thing…it’s a bit like drinking from a fire hose. There’s plenty of water, but you may not absorb much of it.
I told my students facts weren’t much use unless they understood them in context and knew how to apply them. Certainly they need to recall some basic facts, but mostly they had to ask great questions and know how to search for answers. And above all, they needed to make sense of the information they discovered.
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So you’re asking What’s this got to do with a bike ride?
Well, FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR isn’t a bike ride. It’s a mission trip, and part of our mission is:
Raise funds and awareness to combat human trafficking and support the kids at Project Rescue’s Home of Hope.
We want people to catch that vision. We want to touch their hearts, to invite them to be part of the circle that surrounds this project.
And you don’t change hearts with facts and figures and lists. You don’t cast a vision with bullet points.
You change hearts by telling your story.
But there’s a trick–it can’t be about you. It can’t be about what you want to get out of it or what you want someone else to get out of it. The story has to be about what the listener needs.
Telling your story is scary. It requires a bit of vulnerability, because you have to tell them why you care. The real reason. Some of the parts that touch folks are the touchy parts. They might misunderstand. They might disagree or ask hard questions.
Maybe you’re thinking that you’re not going on the ride so this doesn’t apply to you.
First, I haven’t given up on getting you to join the team. I hope you’re still considering how you can be part of this life-changing adventure.
Second, I believe you’re generous and you care about justice and you’d like to touch others with your vision. If so, you won’t do it with facts and figures and rational arguments. Those have never changed hearts and they never will.
Jesus taught with stories. Ultimately, He changed the world by telling the story of His life.
Want to change a heart? You’re gonna have to share your story.
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