Last time I shared an example – I looked back and clearly saw God at work when I absolutely couldn’t see it at the time.
I believe that’s mostly how it happens. We are much too quick to attribute “God’s plan” to something that happens in the moment, only to look back months or years later and realize we lacked the perspective to truly understand what was happening.
I’ve seen it happen with The FREEDOM TOUR. When we began, I thought God provided us with this amazing opportunity to support a group of kids rescued from human trafficking. Fundraising was our purpose.
As we prepare for the 15th anniversary of The FREEDOM TOUR, I can see now that a bike ride is not an efficient fundraising mechanism. I’ve spoken to nonprofit experts who’ve explained multiple ways we could raise more money with far less effort.
Their guidance hasn’t convinced me we should stop riding bikes and walking and accumulating miles. Instead, it’s helped me understand our true purpose.
The FREEDOM TOUR is a community. Our purpose is to bring people together, to create relationships around the notion of supporting one group of kids at a single Home of Hope who’ve been rescued from sex trafficking.
This amazing group has donated more than $1.1 million since 2013, and those dollars make a real, tangible difference in the lives of our kids. But what matters is that those dollars are not the result of targeted fundraising campaigns.
People joined us for the cause, to be with friends, because they enjoyed cycling – and became a community that gave from their hearts.
These days, I track our fundraising, but I no longer stress about how much. Jesus will use our efforts far beyond what we will ever see, but I also know he held our kids in his hands long before we showed up.
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For our 15th anniversary, Becky wondered if there was a Scripture involving “15” we could use as a theme. John 15:15…
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
This is my command: Love each other.