“If it was so easy, everyone would be doing it,” I heard a lady once say as
I was attempting to teach her to ride a motorcycle. She had been told it was
just like riding a bike, and she wasn’t very good at that either, she understood
the falling off part, but under pressure, husband, friends, and herself, she
wanted to learn to ride. She was tired of being a buddy seat sitter, and wanted
to ride her own ride. Long before we had MSF courses teaching us, we had
patient friends, or someone we knew at the dealer who would take their time to
teach us. Not always the best situation, but for many it worked, and still
does. For me it seemed natural, more like peer pressure, no one wants to look
like they can’t ride in front of your friends who do. Proper use of clutch and
throttle, knowing where the friction zone is where both meet is taught now, then
it was “open the throttle, let out the clutch and hang on.” And I did, and I
do, and I continue to. And over the years have taught others, rather tried to
teach others to ride. From both my sons, my older one took the MSF course and
is a very good rider, to my other son who got his first bike at age 4, with an
auto clutch and just took off, to my wife who did the MSF thing and rides her
own, we all ride. At different levels, and different courses. But we all ride,
and within limits can ride anything. Thanks to the Federal Government all
motorcycles now shift on the left, brake on the right, headlight on all the
time. Much different than riding old Brit bikes, old Sportys, or old Kawis with
a rotary trans, that went 1-4, the 1 again. What were they thinking? But some
I taught were memorable, and I think of them when I see something that reminds
me of them. Coincidence huh?
When selling bikes years ago, I had a 72 year old Grandma buy a Suzuki 110, and wanted to learn to ride it. Her husband had died, she had a motor home, and was going to hit the road. Her first trip was with her grandsons, and she was going to surprise them with the motorcycle she was taking along. They never knew what was in store when they stopped by the shop on the way out of town, and Grandma took a few hot laps in dirt lot. This would be a road trip to remember....is your Grandma that cool?
When selling bikes years ago, I had a 72 year old Grandma buy a Suzuki 110, and wanted to learn to ride it. Her husband had died, she had a motor home, and was going to hit the road. Her first trip was with her grandsons, and she was going to surprise them with the motorcycle she was taking along. They never knew what was in store when they stopped by the shop on the way out of town, and Grandma took a few hot laps in dirt lot. This would be a road trip to remember....is your Grandma that cool?
When Theresa and Christopher took the MSF course, I got the call at the
first break, “go buy another bike for us.” Music to my ears. So they shared a
2003 Bonneville, rather fought over it, mostly Christopher occasionally shared
it with his mother, until she got hit on her first solo ride without me. She
was OK, the bike totaled, but we all encouraged her to ride again, the accident
wasn’t her fault. And she did and she does, averaging over 6000 miles a year on
her own, when she is not on the back with me. By the way, she is not a
grandmother....
The other side of learning to ride was a young husband who finally had
convinced his wife motorcycles were safe to ride. He bought a brand new GT380
from me, and off to the back lot we went, for a few intro laps and instruction.
He knew how to ride, he kept telling me, and his wife had that look of “no you
don’t.” He was finally able to kick start it, and kept stalling, blaming the
bike. When he finally got the clutch and throttle thing right, he gave it too
much throttle, and headed into a chain link fence, that saved him from riding
into the building. Bike and rider stuck under the chain link fence, rpm’s
revving, we pulled him out, bike scratched, his ego bruised. She left both bike
and rider behind....motorcycles are safer when you know how to ride. No word on
the marriage.
But the one person I wished had learned to ride was my Grandpa. At age 21
he hitch hiked across the US of A, in 1926 America. He liked the fact I rode,
and rode cross country. He loved to hear the tales of the ride, and wished to
ride himself. He often sat on my motorcycles, and him on my CB650 Nighthawk
stands out in my mind’s eye. But my Grandma forbid him to, probably a good
thing, if only he had learned when younger. And when Ray tells me of riding
with his grandson, and the time they ride together so special, I am glad I
taught my family to ride...or at least encouraged it.
But all riding starts with a desire to ride. It may have been a neighbor
who rode, or a relative. Maybe a trip to the desert got you going, or
pretending to ride a motorcycle by putting baseball cards in your spokes. But
with the desire, you sought out someone else who rode, maybe a shop or at a
friend’s bench racing session. You learned the terms, sat on the bike, in your
mind going 100 mph, your imagination going crazy until reality stepped in. You
didn’t ride. I see many in churches today when it comes to a relationship with
God. They hear others praying, reading, and worshipping, and want to join in,
but don’t get it. Maybe they are saved, and wish to pray publicly like some do,
but don’t know how. And hope they are never asked. Just like the excuse if
everybody was doing it, it should be so easy, prayer should be easy. And
personal, whether spoken or said silently in the spirit. It is a personal
conversation with God, and some conversations are more personal than others.
Some are private, some out loud, some quick, some long, but in all cases, we
need to start with prayer. We need to ask, or better yet listen, then proceed.
And when you hit the friction zone where you and God are conversing, you know
when to just be quiet and listen, maybe the best part of prayer, hearing God’s
voice. And like the person who asks directions, and you reply “where are you?”
your prayers will help to tell you where you are with Jesus. Many pray like
they were taught, or where they were brought up, to me each prayer, each
conversation is different. If in danger, one word “HELP!” is all that is
needed. Other times in worship it may be a long period of praise. Maybe the
best type, thanking God for all he has done. Or better yet, just for who he
is. Some pray the same prayer over a meal, some so long the food gets cold.
Some out loud bringing attention to themselves and annoying other diners. God
isn’t deaf...and can hear. Can you? But just like riding, the more you ride,
the more situations you encounter, the more skills you acquire. You become a
better rider. Works with God too, the more you pray, it leads to more Bible
reading. Confirming what the spirit ahs shown you in print. Remember the first
century church didn’t have the New Testament, God wrote his words on their
hearts. And still does today. It takes the spirit to reveal the mysteries of
Christ in the Bible, pray then read. And if you can’t, pray anyway. The only
time I was ever denied praying for someone, was a man who was near death, and
told me not to. I asked him “how do you know I haven’t been?” He went home,
discharged the next day. The spirit knows when and what to say before we do.
Or feel we have to. Or draw attention to ourselves. Prayer needs to draw
attention to the one we are praying to. If Jesus doesn’t get the glory, we miss
out on blessings. There is no power in prayer, only in God who answers. Next
time you are stuck on the side of the road, and beg your motorcycle to start,
you may have faith, your bike cannot answer. Like the statues that were prayed
to, and kept falling over, they had no ears to hear, or mouth to answer. Only
Jesus does and will. Are you listening?
And so there are no lessons on how to pray, except one. The disciples
never asked Jesus how to heal, how to teach, or how to minister. Or how to do
book sales, fund raisers, or how to take special offerings. Their request was
simple, “teach us to pray.” For without contact with God, all else didn’t
matter. And the Lord’s Prayer tells us how. The who, what , where, and why of
Jesus Christ. Maybe meditate on the words, then apply it to God,and watch as
asking becomes worship, becomes blessed, and no words need to be spoken. The
spirit will comfort, give confirmation, and lead to places you didn’t know. The
person who is always with you, the two or more that Jesus tells us about when is
among us. Maybe just ask the spirit, where do we start today? And then
listen....AMEN!
And it is so easy, that everyone can do it. God made it that way. He
doesn’t cut you off from him, he desires fellowship, which is why he sent Jesus
to be the way back. To reunite us with him. To form a relationship. And you
can start right now...no lessons necessary! Unlike learning to ride, or
crash.
The line to heaven is open right now. God is waiting to hear from you, do
you wait to hear from him? He is anxious in his loving way to have fellowship
with you. To love and guide you. To forgive and bless you. Will you let him?
Why ask if you don’t expect an answer, we are told he who has an ear let him
hear, not he who has a mouth let him speak. Prayer like riding will be
different everyday. So get out and pray more. Right now, stop and thank God
for loving you. And watch as the words flow from the heart. If only riding a
motorcycle was so easy. Then everyone could do it. Can I get and AMEN?
love with compassion,
Mike
mathew25biker.blogspot.com