Last time we talked about process and results.
The idea is to avoid becoming results-focused. Becoming too attached to outcomes is an almost certain path to disappointment.
I’m going to talk here about The Freedom Tour, but I hope you’ll be able to find areas in your own life when the same principles apply.
The longer we do The Freedom Tour, the less I find I care about outcomes. I worry less about whether we will raise enough money or why more people don’t show up. I measure and report those things to our team, but personally they matter less and less to me.
What does matter?
In the months prior to the ride – Do I effectively communicate the message of hope & freedom for our kids? Do a few more people “get” the urgency of addressing this horrible crime? Do a few more people convert from followers to fans, people willing to dig into the nitty-gritty work?
On the day of the ride – Do the people who show up enjoy themselves? Do I get to have meaningful conversations with a few folks I didn’t know – and some old friends I haven’t seen for a while? Do I see smiles and laughter?
Once we’re finished – Do people understand the magnitude of what they accomplished as a community?
Honestly, these are just examples. They’re process questions, stuff that doesn’t seem super spiritual. But I ask Jesus each day to guide me, to help me be certain I’m doing these sorts of things as well as possible.
None of this is glamorous. And there’s a conflict, because the dollars matter – a lot. The dollars are how we help our kids. And the need is so, so great.
I heard a speaker this week who helped me understand how to approach this conflict. She said she stood in a Red-Light District, surrounded by unspeakable evil, and wondered how she could make a difference.
Then it occurred to her – she was asking the wrong question. She asked, “Jesus, what do you want me to do?”
Instantly, she felt peace.
As I heard her speak, I couldn’t help thinking she had a more powerful, articulate way of saying:
We do what we can, with what we have – and trust Jesus for the outcome.