Every journey requires a map.
Do you think that’s true?
I think quite a bit about journeys and maps these days as we prepare for the FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR. For safety and logistical purposes we try to have every single mile of our 500-mile tour mapped in advance. My friend Scott has a fairly detailed map of his bike ride around the world. Since he’s doing planned lectures as he travels, he can’t just ride wherever and show up whenever.
I guess some journeys require maps.
I wonder, though, if true journeys, the journeys that matter, can be mapped in advance. I wonder what’s lost when we try.
Jesus said, “Follow me.” He promised to walk with us, but He never revealed the destination.
Becky and I have done a number of extended tours, some with teams and some by ourselves. We plan the routes, but the journey never happens the way we expected. We’ve learned that God always has something better in mind than whatever we imagined. The best stories, the most memorable moments, are the God-ordained appointments we wouldn’t have made.
In about two months our team will gather for the fourth edition of FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR. We’ll ride a similar route with some returning riders, but I’m absolutely certain God has something new and remarkable laid out before us. We’ll have opportunities we can’t picture, meet people we can’t anticipate, and share the story of the HOME OF HOPE in places we don’t know about yet. We’ll form lifelong friendships and change lives by working together and trusting God for the outcome.
It’s a lot of responsibility, and it’s tempting to try to plan it all out and make sure it works. But then I remember the tour doesn’t belong to me and my silly plans are really attempts to draw lines around God.
I believe “Follow Me” is an invitation to join an adventure, to write a remarkable story with the days of your life without knowing the ending. It’s an invitation to trust the compass even when there’s no map.
I’m excited to see what sort of story this year’s FREEDOM TOUR team creates on our nine-day journey. You can still join us–registration deadline is April 25.