The FREEDOM TOUR has a tradition regarding stones.
At the beginning of each tour we ask each rider to select two stones. On one they write something they’d like to leave behind at the end of the ride. On the other, a lesson they want to carry with them after the tour concludes.
Each team member carries their stones 500 miles as a small act of sacrifice. Then, at the top of Raton Pass, we conduct a small ceremony. One at a time we place our “left behind” stones in a pile, building an altar of sorts. We add these to the stones from previous rides to remember that we’re part of a larger community. Our makeshift altar serves as a reminder of God’s faithfulness.
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I thought of our tradition as I watched Kathie Lee Gifford’s tribute to her late husband, legendary football player and broadcaster Frank Gifford. She spoke about Frank’s strong faith and his stone collection gathered during a trip to Elah Valley in Israel, the site of David’s battle with Goliath.
She said that when their daughter Cassidy graduated from high school, her father gave her a stone. And he said to her, “Cass, where are you going to throw your stone for the kingdom of God? What is your stone and where are you gonna throw it?”
Kathie Lee continued, “A week later, Cody graduated from college: USC film school. He got a stone. And if you ever leave a legacy for your children, let it be that you’ve taught them friendship with God and you’ve taught them to find their stone and show it. Show it, throw it, hard and well. And transform this hurting world that needs God’s love so much.”
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Most folks get the story of David and Goliath backwards. If you read the story (1 Samuel 17) you’ll know God prepared David to face the giant. As a shepherd he’d killed lions and bears (vs 36) and learned to trust God in tough situations against fearsome enemies. He was ready for Goliath.
David’s biggest problems were his own brothers, a fearful army, and a king who said he couldn’t succeed. Basically, he had to overcome friendly fire to get to the battle he knew he could win with God’s help. Once he confronted the giant, David knew he was ready to throw his stone for God.
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So each FREEDOM TOUR team member left a stone behind, but what about the stone we brought back? We wrote something on that stone–a commitment, something we wanted to be different because we carried that stone 500 miles.
Does it sit forgotten in a drawer? Am I throwing it, day after day, for the kingdom of God?
What’s the fear? Perhaps it’s not the giant, but something a little closer to home that’s holding you back.
This has nothing to do with riding bikes. What’s your stone? Where are you throwing it?
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