Rich Dixon continues his story:

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Last time I talked about the rearview mirror.

I promised a recap of the view, minus the temptation to relive the glory days.

For context, I should tell you my injury occurred at age 36. When I badgered my neurosurgeon for a prognosis, he told me I wasn’t likely to live past 50. Honestly, I was okay with that.

I couldn’t see a way forward. Permanent paralysis, wheelchair – the future was a hopeless fog. And there’s the key word.

Hopeless.

If I’m completely honest, in many ways the daily view looking forward hasn’t improved much. Living with paralysis is difficult and doesn’t get easier with age. Jesus acknowledged tough circumstances.

But here’s an apparently contradictory observation: I’m confident about the future because I trust God to keep His promises.

That’s hope.

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Hopeless to hope. I don’t know how that happens, but in the rearview mirror a journal became a story called Relentless Grace. Looking back I can see His hand at work through the lens of that story.

• In my 40’s and 50’s, for 20+ years, I was given the gift of service. Teaching and learning – in a wheelchair – from young students healed me in deep, profound ways.
• In my 50’s I re-connected and began to build a remarkable life with Becky.
• In my 50’s I also discovered handcycling and spent a decade preparing for and nurturing a life-altering, God-inspired dream.
• At age 60 the dream emerged. 1500 miles along the Mississippi River, four additional solo tours, and 9 years of the FREEDOM TOUR.

According to the data, I was supposed to be dying. God had a bigger idea.

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Relentless Grace is far bigger than one more testimony of tragedy to triumph. It’s the story of God using the events of one person’s life – the lows and the highs – to write His big story for good. That’s His promise to me.

And to you.