This past weekend I was so blessed to get the opportunity to join the BCM on the annual Ride for Christ. The team set out on Thursday morning and rode bicycles for 30 straight hours the 300 miles to Jacksonville. Obviously we’re not all super humans like the 5 guys that rode the whole way, but together we reached our goal and crossed the finish line in a sprint of accomplishment. This was made possible by all of the amazing encouragers and drivers that selflessly stayed up all night just to cheer us on. Every single person on this trip was a huge blessing and I was so glad to be able to spend the weekend with all of them. In the dead cold of the night, it was always motivating to know that some time in the next few miles I’d get to see Jennifer Rockecharlie dancing like a fool on the side of the road. I’ve never been more grateful to receive a sip of water in the midst of the hilliest region of the world (or so it seemed at the time) than when Allie Walker pulled over to give me one. When my tire popped 5 miles from my 150 mile mark, Josh Mosley encouraged me to persevere, enabling me to meet and surpass my goal. And of course, I could not have been more privileged to share a bike with my ballin partner, Britt Gallman.  I could write a whole blog about each person that made my weekend possible, but there were approximately 50 of those, so I’ll leave it at that for now.

I was really dragging before the weekend. Discouragement from all sides and disappointments blinding my view. The Ride for Christ was stressful as I struggled to find a bike at the last minute (literally) and came to the scary realization that I may not be able to pick up a bike after 2 years and ride it even one 20 mile leg. Not to mention the history exam and spanish test the morning of that would start me off sleep-deprived.

The Ride for Christ was exactly what I needed. Not only was I surrounded by amazing people all weekend, but I developed a close community that I’ve been missing lately as I developed friendships with the people I normally just waved at before. We grew as a family over those 30 hours as we went from the sunniest flat roads in the day  to the hilly frigid wee hours of the morning, seeing each other at our best and our worst. I was incredibly reluctant to make the drive back to Athens, knowing we’d all be going our separate ways into our hectic lives.  I had really come to lean on these people and enjoy spending time with them and God really used them to lift my spirits.

This is all insignificant, however, in relation to the true importance of Ride for Christ. The mission of the ride is to raise money for the summer Send Me Now missionaries.

We rode 300 miles in 30 hours, which is pretty cool and impressive, but it’s just a stretch of road paving the way to a much bigger adventure. The miles that will be traveled and the lives that will be changed along the way are the finish line.

Tonight at Gathering, I really zoned in on that finish line. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always at the forefront of my mind, but it’s really coming into the picture now as we received our first bits of information regarding winter, spring and summer trips. I am tempted to say what I hope to see happen but I will refrain in hopes that I end up where God wants me rather than where my heart initially desires.

Either way, I’m stoked. God filled me up in 30 hours and I’m excited to be poured out throughout my lifetime, especially in the coming years. I dream of going a million miles and spending a whole lifetime sharing His love wherever I am, whether that be a village in Africa or an urban city in America, or right in hometown Georgia.

“Here am I, I will go.
Send me out to make You known.
There is hope for every soul, send me out, send me out..”