I posted an excerpt from the in-progress manuscript today over at Rich’s Ride. It’s called The Middle Of Nowhere. I invite you to drop over and take a look.

Everybody’s got a story.

Have you ever thought about that?

Wherever Becky and I tell the story of RICH’S RIDE, we inevitably hear compelling stories in return. It’s as though hearing about our adventure releases others to share their own experiences.

I love listening to these stories. We often hang around for a long time afterward, just listening. It’s a wonderful experience, but there are a couple of disturbing aspects to many of the stories we hear.

One is a sense that our stories happen to us. Folks with this perspective speak in fatalistic, victim terminology, as though they had nothing to do with the direction of their lives.

We need to acknowledge that life isn’t simplistic, that events occur clearly beyond our control. I don’t begin to understand how God’s will meshes with human freedom of choice.

But to a large degree, each of us decides the nature of our story. We choose to dream—or not. We choose the habits that shape our character. One of my goals whenever I speak is to encourage folks to own their personal story, to believe they’re the author. I want people to believe in hope that allows them to dream and re-write a story with which they may not be satisfied.

It’s absolutely true that every person is a single choice away from a new story.

The other is that it’s all about “the power of positive thinking.” Perhaps it’s simply semantics, but positive thinking sounds like a platitude, pasting a pretend positive spin on decidedly negative events.

I’d rather talk about scripture’s promise that God causes ALL things to work together for good. God always honors His promises, and in that I find enduring, long-term hope.

I expect God’s faithfulness, no matter the circumstances, even when I can’t see it. I believe I can lean on His promises and continue to write a story of hope.

You’re the author of your story. Write a great one, one worth sharing.

Please leave a comment.

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Becky and I enjoyed a wonderful evening at Timberline Church talking about Rich’s Ride. Here’s the video evidence.

Can’t see the video? Click here.

A couple of weeks ago I offered a working list of lessons learned from the bike ride project. To my surprise, I keep learning new stuff as I work on my manuscript.

Here are a few additions to my list with some additional commentary on the last item. Let me know what you think.

Dreaming is great, but at some point you have to START

Focus on your strengths because that’s where you can make the most difference

You are a single one-degree miracle away from totally altering the trajectory of your life

A God-sized dream is a precious gift to be held in open hands

The numbers we use as ‘measurables” rarely reflect the true purpose of what we’re doing

Speaking of numbers:

On the last day of the ride we reflected on several numbers.

• 1500 miles
• 8 weeks
• 9 states
• 37 averaged miles per day
• 51 miles on the longest day
• 9 mph average speed
• 13 mph best average speed for a single day
• 26 speaking events
• More than 3,500 people reached in speaking venues
• More than $40,000 raised for hungry children
• More than 800 children fed for an entire year
• More than $25,000 raised in sponsorship for the ride
• Less than $15,000 in actual ride expenses

Those numbers matter. In business terms they’re the “measurables.” You can create charts and graphs and do calculations with them. They’re important indicators or a track record if I wish to seek funding for future rides. This project required payments for gas, food, lodging, and equipment. The only place realities like this can be ignored is called Fantasyland.

The numbers are important measures. But they don’t measure what was important about Rich’s Ride. We might have done better in all of these areas and still been unsuccessful. And the numbers might have been significantly worse on a ride that was a smashing success.

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I’d love to hear your thoughts and responses. Please leave a comment here.

I thought I share a working list of what I learned from the experience of Rich’s Ride. Might be chapters for a new book…

Don’t let your resources determine your vision

God values character more than comfort

Hope changes what’s possible

God wants actors rather than spectators

It’s about the journey and the destination

Faith requires operating without a safety net

Life is about decisions and choices, not feelings

Stepping out in faith takes you to some scary places

Preparation is the key to flexibility

Don’t let what you can’t do keep you from doing what you can do

Don’t let your failures keep you from seeing your triumphs

Big dreams shock people and make them nervous

Great obstacles create great opportunity

The greater the challenge, the greater the triumph

Life is less about circumstances than my attitude toward them

I’m responsible for doing what I can, where I am, with what I have

Small changes make a big difference

Great changes happen with long-term consistency and moderation

The prayers and support of a circle of supporters make a huge difference

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I’d love to hear  your thoughts and responses. Please leave a comment here.

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Relentless Grace

I hope you’ll take advantage of our 2-for-1 deal.

Click this button and give the gift of Relentless Grace this Christmas.

And thanks for helping spread the word.

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Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1

A couple of weeks ago I accomplished a dream.

I’m still learning from the experience. Perhaps that’s how it works—true significance only becomes apparent when you have some time to reflect and attain a more accurate perspective.

One important lesson from Rich’s Ride involves my absolute interdependence on other people. I may be able to survive on my own—that’s independence—but I cannot thrive in isolation.

I enjoy having folks congratulate me. But I don’t want to enjoy it too much, because this was a team accomplishment. I quite literally couldn’t have done this alone.

God wired us to do life together, face-to-face and side-by-side. The solitary Christian is a myth.

I’m thankful for all the people who extended themselves to make Rich’s Ride such a wonderful experience. I’m especially thankful for Becky, who did about a thousand thankless tasks every day to make it all work.

I’m here because throughout my life people invested in me and believed in me. That’s the story of Rich’s Ride and the story of Relentless Grace. I’m glad they didn’t give up, because mostly I didn’t make it easy for them.

I’m thankful.

Please leave a comment here.

On the final day of Rich’s Ride I spent some time wondering what final insights I might glean from the scripture I’d been pondering for the past eight weeks.

I recalled a pastor friend suggesting that a good tactic involves highlighting different words. So for a few miles I thought about how the third line took on slightly different textures as different words were emphasized.

See, I am doing a new thing!

I

God is doing a new thing. It’s not up to me.

Surely He invites my participation, but He’s not waiting around for my approval or my permission. He’s got a plan, and it’s HIS thing, not mine.

DOING

He’s not planning or pondering. It’s not some future vision. He’s DOING it, right now. I just need to open my eyes and see it.

NEW

I know what “new” means in my world, but imagine what “new” connotes from the perspective of the infinite creator of the universe. When He says something’s NEW, it might be a good idea to take note.

See, I am doing a new thing!

I want to perceive it.

Please leave a comment here.

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Have you ever thought of God as same-old-same-old?

I posed that question this morning to the men’s group I spoke to in Hannibal. The general consensus was that God is never that way, but our lives often are.

I shared this scripture and talked about what it meant to me (Hannibal Devotions) in the context of Rich’s Ride.

Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19

Then I gave them my “Rich’s Paraphrase Version” of lines 3 & 4.

“I’m doing something new and creative with your messed-up life. It’s right in front of you. Open your eyes!”

I invited them to look around, to imagine that right now, right where we were, God was doing a new thing with each of our lives.

It was pretty cool. Maybe the neatest insight came from a guy who stopped afterward to say he looked at the other folks around the table differently. He saw people who had exciting new developments happening in their lives, right now, right in front of his eyes.

I hadn’t considered that angle. On the sidewalk outside, a young lady walked past. I had no idea where she was headed, but I knew one thing: God was doing something new and amazing in her life.

I wonder if she perceived it.

How about you? Do you see yourself, or those around you, as same-old-same-old? Are you willing to perceive God’s new thing?

Please leave a comment here.

I’m speaking at a men’s breakfast tomorrow in Hannibal, Missouri at the Mark Twain Dinette.

It’s probably nothing like the picture I have in my mind, but it sure sounds cool. I just received my “assignment.” I’m supposed to do a twenty minute devotional.

So I thought I’d tell you what I’m thinking about and see if you have some suggestions.

Topic: HOPE

Scripture: Isaiah 43:18-19

Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.

I grew up believing God was all about “the former things.” Everything seemed wrapped up in past sins and mistakes, in guilt and regret.

I believe this scripture reveals God’s true character—He’s the God of a new thing. And what’s really cool is that He’s doing it right now, whether we choose to perceive it or not. He’s doing impossible stuff like creating streams in the desert.

He’s a God of creativity and vision and big dreams who will pay any price—even His Son’s life—to see those dreams realized.

And we’re made in His image, which means that we share in those characteristics. We’re creatures with an innate desire to create and dream.

When I’m tempted to wallow in my story, I remember that God tells me not to dwell on the chapters already written. Instead, He invites me to join Him in writing new chapters with the gifts He’s given. That’s exciting, and scary, and risky.

That’s what Rich’s Ride is about. It’s a new story, a new thing.

It’s exciting, and risky, and scary.

So…what do you think? Does this make sense in the context of the story of Rich’s Ride?

What should I add?

Please leave a comment here.

Happy Monday.

Greetings from Burlington, Iowa, where I’m struggling to find today’s word-of-the-week…

PATIENCE

I’ve gotten behind schedule on Rich’s Ride. No excuses—for a lot of reasons I’m about twenty miles behind where I need to be, and almost sixty miles behind where I’d hoped to be, to reach my 1500 mile goal.

I know, you’re going to tell me it’s not about the miles, and you’re right—except that it is.

It’s not a huge deficit. I can catch up. But I don’t like the feeling of being behind my own expectations.

We have a long distance to travel, lots of riding days. Weather forecasts indicate more favorable conditions, and I’m feeling good after a weekend of rest. So it’s time to get going.

But it takes patience. You don’t accomplish a big goal in a single day. It’s a long-term deal.

I try to consider God’s perspective. He’s looking at a bigger picture than I can imagine, and a measly twenty miles probably doesn’t make much difference to Him.

He wants me to reach the goal, and He wants me to travel well. He’s been really patient with me this far; I want to remember that and adopt a bit more of His attitude.

Can’t you almost hear Him?

“Patience, Rich, patience…”

Have a great week.

Please leave a comment here.