Today’s total: $7730 towards $25,000. Proceeds help us repair Ms. Middlebrook’s roof in Smiths Station and continued Lee County Tornado recovery.
Faith, hope, and love and the most important is love (1 Cor. 13:13). That is the devotional message my mom shared to our group this evening after a long, grueling ride from Selma to Tuskegee. We got a little bit of everything today; a few showers (which that late one at 4:00pm was refreshing), some bright sun, humidity, and even some short wind gusts. Although, I will say, having the wind at our back has made a difference. Last year, we rode into a strong head wind all three days!
My mom talked about our team and especially our men. She noted their faith, their friendship, their funny jokes and mostly their commitment to service and ministry. I could not say it better. These guys have helped keep this ride going for the past 10 years. I am indebted to them and what they mean to ARM and me personally.
It was great to have Chase Crowson and his dad, Roger, join us. Chase is in the Atlanta area and his dad is from Huntsville. Those guys were rock stars and having a father and son ride together was special. Chase, John Stephenson, and I, were all at the Auburn Wesley Foundation together and Chase and I served in Panama in 1992 for 21 days. He was part of the group that talked about ministry both far and close to home; how ARM came into being. What a special time and reflection with him.
Tomorrow’s final leg is the hilliest part of our ride. Our legs are sore, our hind ends are sore, we are sunburned, and can’t get enough water…and yet, we ride on. We ride because of people who live day in and day out desperately needing repairs to make their homes warm, safe, and dry. We ride because of so many families in Lee County that lost homes, loved ones, and everything that was routine and normal. We ride because of Jesus dying and resurrecting, which we celebrated two weekends ago, and how we are called to be beacons of resurrection and restoration. We ride because we love; because He first loved us. Thank you to all of our supporters, sponsors, and friends!
Looking forward to another day and opportunity to raise funds and awareness to help families repair their homes and find holistic recovery.
Grace and peace,
lisa