You can’t do something like this without a bit of looking back.
When Becky and I proposed the FREEDOM TOUR three years ago we were absolutely sure it was a great idea. We thought someone else would grab the vision and run with it. Truthfully, we desperately wanted somebody to tell us what to do.
Lesson: Don’t wait for someone else to put your vision into action.
When God hands you a dream, it’s probably because He thinks you’re the best person for the job. He doesn’t expect you to hand it off to someone you think is more qualified.
So we decided to trust God and pretend we knew what we were doing. We made it look as organized as possible and seriously wondered if anyone would show up. We were delighted, and secretly a little afraid, when they did.
We leaned on our friends from Venture Expeditions, and with a lot of help from people like Kristen, Rob, Una, and too many more to name we pulled off FREEDOM TOUR 2013. When we finished, we learned something we already knew. The tour wasn’t about riding bikes. It wasn’t even really about the Home Of Hope.
Lesson: People come together around a mission; they stay together around a community.
God created us to be in relationship. Turns out you forge some pretty strong bonds with folks when you live and ride and sweat and serve together for eight days.
Folks are drawn to the story of the kids and the Home Of Hope. But they hang around for the sense of family and community that happens when people gather for different reasons around a common purpose. We began to understand the true nature of what we’d been given.
FREEDOM TOUR VISION: Create a community in which people are empowered to trust God, work together as servant leaders, and offer hope to others.
We weren’t tour organizers or fund raisers, Our task was to find ways to expand and enrich the community. Hmmm…and back in 2011 I thought I was just an old, bald guy who wanted to take a bike ride.
But a funny thing happened. As friendships developed, the circle also expanded. Fund raising increased dramatically as people became more invested and connected. Community sponsors jumped in. Churches along the route became active partners. Ripples, networks, connections we didn’t even know about.
None of this is accident or coincidence, of course. We look back and see God’s hand touching hearts, bringing people onto the path in His timing for them and for us. Even when I mess it up, He helps people look past the faults to see the big picture of what He’s doing.
Lesson: We’re three years along, in many ways still uncertain of what we’re doing but more certain than ever that we’re supposed to be doing it.
Lots of thoughts, but right now I’m feeling incredibly grateful to all the people who took the risk of joining the FREEDOM TOUR team. I’m proud of them and grateful for what we’ve accomplished together.
Here’s a link to an alumni page. It’s a sort of yearbook, a snapshot of each person who took the risk and committed to 500 miles.
I hope you’ll click the link. To me, it’s a hall of fame. Maybe you’ll wonder about adding your picture next year.
I’m excited to see what God has in mind. Whatever it is…
It’s gonna be a blast!
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