I’ve often told the story of my first handcycle ride.
More than a decade after my injury, some friends coerced me into trying this odd contraption. During that decade, I was mired in self-pity, depression, and hopelessness. Whatever anyone tried to get me to do, I was convinced I couldn’t do it. So, I didn’t even bother to try.
The first ride was not an epic success. Two blocks, down and back, took about 30 minutes. When I finished, I was exhausted. And… I couldn’t wait to do it again.
What changed? How did I go from the guy who believed he couldn’t to the guy who wanted to try?
I believe God brought the handcycle into my life to help me rediscover something I lost when I was injured. On that two-block ride, God helped me find hope.
I didn’t recognize it at the time, of course, but during those 30 minutes I began to believe I might be able to do something physical that was worthwhile and enjoyable.
This rediscovered sense of hope changed everything. Hope literally changed my sense of what I could do. That two-block ride led to more than 53,000 miles of cranking a handcycle in the last 25 years.
Thus, our tagline: Hope Changes What’s Possible.
If you look closely, though, the relationship between hope and activity isn’t one-way. It’s more like a circle.
I discovered hope again by taking one small step, with no idea where it would lead, with no faith that anything would come of it.
The simple action of cranking two blocks led to a sense of hope, which led to even more activity, which created a greater sense of hope.
When we feel hopeless, perhaps the solution is simply to begin.