Rich Dixon talking about traditions:

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On the first FREEDOM TOUR in 2013, we established traditions.

The best traditions remind us “why.” I’ve told you about Helmets Up. Another lasting tradition is “Hope Rocks.”

Cyclists deplore extra weight. Serious cyclists spend crazy sums to shed a few grams. So, it seemed counterintuitive when we asked each person on the first day to carry two stones with them – one, an ugly, gnarly stone and the other a nice, smooth Hope Rock.

The extra weight provided a small reminder of the heavy burden carried by victims of trafficking. Each time we felt those stones in our pockets, we recalled our kids and the horrible trauma they endured. We remembered to pray, and the purpose of our sweat and sacrifice.

These stones carried a second meaning.

We asked each person to think during the ride of a burden they carried, something they were weary of lugging around and needed to hand over to Jesus. We wrote a word signifying that burden on our ugly rock.

On our Hope Rock we wrote something we hoped to take home when we were finished.

The stones prompted frequent conversations at rest stops, lunch gatherings, and evening debriefings. They helped us remember the true definition of hope: a confident expectation based on faith that God keeps his promises.

At the end of the ride, we gathered in a circle. Each person explained, sometimes quite emotionally, what they wanted to lay down and give to Jesus. One by one we piled those ugly stones, prayed over them, and left them behind.

Then, each person explained the meaning of their Hope Rock, what they hoped to take home as they left our circle. We prayed over those as we completed our time together.

We’ve repeated this powerful tradition on every tour. Riders who’ve done multiple tours have a treasured collection of Hope Rocks.

Turns out – people like coming together around hope.

To be continued…