2027 will be the Freedom Tour’s 15th anniversary.
People have proposed all sorts of interesting ideas about how to celebrate. One that’s caught my attention, because it’s come from several different directions, is the notion of re-telling the Freedom Tour story from the beginning.
Makes sense. Lots of people have joined us along the way. They may have heard bits and pieces, but don’t know the entire journey. So, I’ve been thinking about some different creative ways to go back to the start of the whole crazy journey.
One problem – doing that feels like talking a lot about myself, and I’m not my favorite subject. All this pondering inspired yesterday’s quote:
At some point you realize… It’s Not About Me.
Even when it’s my story and I appear to be the central character, it’s not about me. Not really.
I can’t tell you how long it took me to realize the importance of understanding my place in my own story. Even when I published RELENTLESS GRACE – and then RICH’S RIDE – I’m not sure I clearly understood I wasn’t the main character.
Ultimately, of course, it’s always about Jesus. But beyond that, your story and mine are intertwined with our communities – our families, our friends, the people we encounter along the journey.
When people ask me about the books, they most often want to discuss the characters who made such an impact on them – and on me. That off-the-wall physical therapist, the guys who coerced me onto my first handcycle, the nurse who held my neck for hours when my brace broke.
Looking back, it’s clear – as Jesus and I traveled this difficult road, he continually brought people alongside, characters who changed the path and made such a positive impact on the journey.
An observer would conclude that the video was entirely about community, about interactions that happened as people came together.
It certainly wasn’t about me.