rickallendunn

Many people have asked how biking across America has impacted me, what have you learned? I think that is a question that the answer is going to be unfolding for a long time. I am just beginning to understand how this experience has changed me. But let me say I am so very grateful for having the opportunity to fulfill this dream and to have had the most amazing experience you could ever ask for.

I have begun to write down the things that I have noticed about myself, about God while I was on this Epic Bike Ride. I will list some of them here. Although I realize the list is not exhaustive, it’s a good chunk of what I am taking away from the experience today.

In the future I hope to write more about each one of the things I am listing here in some detail, but today listing them will have to suffice.

First I think it is important to understand that this bike across America was in a sense the capstone project of the most profound season of spiritual growth in my life in many, many years. This growth was catalyzed by the Cohort Mary-Beth and I have been in for the last two years to become Spiritual Directors.

When we completed the program last May, God had already pulled me into the spiritual depths with Him, yet I felt God was inviting me into a journey with Him into even deeper water, a difficult journey with fears, obstacles and many challenges. He was inviting me to take a huge risk and join Him as I fulfilled a long held dream.

Here are the things I noticed along the way.

• He has invited me into the spiritual depths with Him, and in deep, deep water there are both beautiful things and scary things.
• He has met me, spoken to me and healed my heart in some areas where I needed it.
• I never understood the power of Lament to reveal brokenness and to bring healing to it.
• Confession to another is a powerful means of healing & restoration to God in the Christian life.
• There are kind and generous people everywhere.
• There will always be bullies & you have to face them.
• Age is a construct of the mind, not just the body.
• The human body is the most amazing machine ever conceived of.
• Men are made to do hard things.
• Courage is a muscle that must be exercised.
• Fears must not be allowed to keep us from moving forward with our purpose, don’t dwell on them, but step into what needs to be done.
• God is a mystery that we can’t fully comprehend or explain, he does not fit into any box constructed by man.
• We can only know about God what He has revealed to us, and in this life we will never understand the totality of His Being.
• Yet, God knows me and I know Him.
• Time spent in nature is well spent and He joins us there in a unique way.
• I am still a young disciple with much to learn.
• I stand in the middle on many things not fully understanding…I have lots of questions.
• God has more epic things for me to do!

One thing I know for sure, I have been changed by this journey, I am not the same. I look forward to unpacking my list with you in greater detail in the days and weeks to come. Thanks for joining us on the Journey!