Rich Dixon is back.

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BV Hope is a group of women from Buena Vista, Colorado, who decided to do something about sex trafficking.

They heard about our 2017 MOUNTAIN TOUR and insisted we stop in Buena Vista.

Geographically, Buena Vista just didn’t “fit” as an overnight stop. The compromise: we agreed to stop for brunch about 18 miles into our second day.

Our riders grumbled a bit, understandably, about this plan. Stopping for a meal after only 18 miles of a 65-mile ride isn’t ideal. But we couldn’t say NO to their desire to serve us.

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Sunrise brought a light, chilly drizzle – not unusual mountain weather. The cyclists decided to get started, figuring it would dissipate. It didn’t.

At 5 miles they faced a heavy downpour. Riding alone, any of them would have stopped. But they were team on a mission, and quitting wasn’t part of the plan.

They rolled into Buena Vista shivering and soaked to the bone. Suddenly, that 18-mile meal seemed awfully enticing.

BV Hope welcomed us with steaming coffee and piles of hot food. We lingered and learned what these women were doing about sex trafficking in the rural Colorado mountains.

And guess what? When we walked outside, we were greeted with sunshine!

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Some will see God’s plan here, the divine orchestration of a remarkable set of circumstances we could never have imagined or organized.

I think more in terms of Jon’s thoughts last week about God’s presence. I believe you and I are constantly surrounded by kingdom moments, God-given opportunities to connect with and listen to and love our neighbors.

Most kingdom moments aren’t big-deal motivational stories like BV Hope, complete with inspirational, cloud-parting endings. They often look like interruptions or inconveniences (or inconvenient people).

I wonder – how often do you and I dismiss or bypass one of these kingdom moments?