Rich Dixon is still out riding. But he sent us this:

The evening after my pregame conversation with the soccer players, music blared as I watched the familiar commotion of teenagers entering an old warehouse.

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These young people arrived mostly by bus from low-income housing projects. The youth center director told me nearly every one of the 100+ kids in the room would go home to some form of abuse or neglect – if they had a home. Many were homeless, living in cars or as “couch surfers.”

I wondered what I could possibly say to them. Then I remembered they were there to worship. It wasn’t me they leaned upon. They’d come to connect with the One who could change hearts and alter the course of lives.

So I tried simply to be vulnerable. They laughed, seemed impressed with the story of the ride, and hung out afterwards to talk and check out the bike.

I knew I couldn’t scratch the surface of their needs. I could do the task Jesus placed before me on this night, and trust Him for the rest. That’s what those kids were doing.

In the end, it’s what all of us can do.

You might leave that kind of experience sad or angry about hungry, abused kids. You might feel impotent in the face of so much unmet need.

Or you can choose to be grateful for youth pastors and volunteers, for donors who support critically important ministries, for kids whose hearts are open to Jesus even in tough circumstances. You can be grateful for the opportunity to share an evening with them, to contribute in some small way.

You can be grateful for the ability to follow a dream and encourage others to follow theirs.

Choosing gratitude doesn’t mean ignoring the needs. It means resolving to do what you can, where you are, with what you have, and trusting Jesus for the results.

Clear eyes. Full heart.

Can’t lose.