Rich Dixon on why it’s important to look deeper.

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This photo was snapped in 2013 after a difficult climb from Taos, New Mexico. The climb consisted of a series of steep, snaking turns, with no real bike lane. I think I’m smiling mostly because I managed not to get run over.

You might wonder why someone would attempt something so insane. Honestly, partway up the hill, I was wondering the same thing. But – there was always that God-inspired dream.

The dream to ride my bike and raise funds for kids. The dream to create a community around what we were doing, a community committed to Jesus, to each other, and to kids we would never meet.

I never imagined what it would become all these years later, but that’s the thing about following dreams – you end up in places you never imagined. But first, you have to do things you never imagined, things that seem crazy.

If you never attempt what you have never done, one thing is certain:
it will never get done.

So, you crank a handcycle 1500 miles along the Mississippi River. You tell your story to 40 different groups when you’ve always been uncomfortable as a public speaker.

You decide to ride from Taos to Tucson, and Day 1 you’re confronted with an “impossible” climb. You could just skip it (who would know?) but that’s not part of the dream.

Thirteen years later, it’s tempting to back off, take it a little easier. But for me, that dream still beckons. Paraphrasing Jimmy Carter – I have one life and one chance to make it count. Jesus invites me to do what I can, with what I have – trusting him for the outcome – to make a difference.

BTW – I might not have been smiling if I had known about the descent, which was crazier than the climb. I’m not sure how I got to the bottom in one piece!

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