Rich Dixon is finally over the bridge.

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“Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken.”

Pastor Mark’s personal beatitude proved remarkably prophetic. Following Jesus (or a God-sized dream, or a river) means not traveling directly from A to B.

Most folks think of the Mississippi River as a strip of water flowing south from Lake Itasca to New Orleans. Few people realize it initially flows north. At some spots it bends east or west. North of Wabasha, Minnesota, the river is so wide it’s called Lake Pepin.

In most places no road or trail directly parallels the shore. While Rich’s Ride was billed as a ride along the Mississippi River, mostly we sort of meandered in the river’s general direction.

When we’re following Jesus (and God-sized dreams), we work out details as we go. Life rarely follows predictable paths. It’s about faith and trust, but dreamers tend to chafe against this reality. We perceive any deviation from our plan as an undesirable delay.

We frequently don’t know what we’re looking for until we find it. An apparent diversion might take us precisely where we ought to go. Or give us time to learn and grow and figure out the true essentials.

“Wants” and “needs” aren’t always located on the same path.

Of course, some detours are real. Illness, financial setbacks, family issues delay or knock us off course for a season. But they’re only detours. Just like the river, the dream’s still there, even when we can’t see it.

God keeps His promises.

So, we cling to hope, because hope assures us we’ll eventually discover a path back to the river.

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And then there are moments when we intentionally veer off course. Such apparent diversions often become essential experiences when we’re following a God-sized dream.

On a map, Carbondale, Illinois looks like a city about forty miles east of the river.

On Rich’s Ride, Carbondale wasn’t a place. It was an event.

To be continued…