A road test in Motor Trend today on SUV’s, seems it is either an over
priced pick up, or an over priced SUV world, and they recommended “if you want
to be the cool dad, this is the SUV to have.” Just what kind of garbage are our
fathers of today passing on to their kids? An SUV cool? Whatever happened to
the cool dads with Chevy SS’s, Boss Mustangs, and Hemis under the hood? How
many of your friends begged your dad to buy the red convertible, now that was
cool. But even big block Chevies and Fords were better than the Ramblers my dad
had, until he bought his first BMW. Not for performance, it was named as one of
the ten best cars in the world, and he figured it would last forever. Because
it was German. A BMW 2002, today collectible, to him a way to get to work, but
to me, the potential start of owning a cool car. Which faded quickly....but the
seeds were planted, and it was up to me to see they grew.
From Mustang convertibles, Thunderbirds, a Probe, and others, we usually
had cool cars. But we always had cool motorcycles, no matter what your dad
picked you up in, your son putting on his helmet and all his friends watching as
he rode off with you made him the envy. “Dad, why can’t you ride a motorcycle
like Christopher’s dad?” But it never really sunk in, at least to me, how
riding impacted my son, until when he was nine years old, he rode on the back of
my FJ1100 to Canada. Two weeks, rain, heat, ferries, and more fun than any nine
year old should be allowed to have. Which was made aware to me, listening to
one of his friends bragging on his vacation, you know the type, “my Dad’s better
than your dad,” but in one sentence, Christopher had him. “My Dad took me on
the back of his motorcycle to Canada.” Game over. It was so cool to him, he
didn’t have to brag about it, now that’s cool. And he still rides today when he
is in town....almost a prerequisite in our family. What are you passing on to
your kids about cool.....and are you still that cool handing over the keys to
them?
More important, what are you passing along to your kids about Jesus? I
never realized how cool God was until I met Jesus. Imagine if you can, the
disciples hanging with him, and the things they took for granted. Then one day,
without warning, really a warning they missed, he was gone. Who would they turn
to, what would they do? But Jesus had told them, and he tells us too. In the
midst of the fear and confusion, and there had to be plenty, he told them about
the holy spirit, who he would leave with them. To guide, to help and be an
advocate, to teach and be a witness to them, to lead them and be an agent of
conviction, to be there always, to never leave them, nor desert them, no matter
the sin or their abandonment of him. This meeting that night, was followed
before leaving by taking communion, a ceremony to remember his words, and to
honor them in their lives. This upper room discourse was meant to comfort and
prove the spirit’s presence that night, and every night to follow. Jesus
promised them the spirit of truth, then left his spirit after he was gone. Now
how cool a father is that, to send his son so we can be reunited with him, God
himself, and then leaving us, giving us his spirit for eternity, which we are in
right now?
So often we only notice the big things, the things that feed our egos and
flesh, but God notices the small things we overlook, or think aren’t important.
By his spirit we can please him, how cool is that, to be able to please God? Do
you ever try to please him, knowing his love for you can never grow, for it is
infinite? Just because he is your God, and your heavenly father, shouldn’t that
be enough? God wants it to be personal, so he sent Jesus, who makes it
personal, and the spirit continues with us. We all want to be proud of our
fathers, to have them stand out as the best, the coolest, to our friends, but do
we approach God the same way? Do we think Jesus is cool, or hide him away?
Remember his warning, “if you deny me in front of men, I will deny you before my
father in heaven.” Now before you fall apart, God knows you cannot do it alone,
so again, he has given us his spirit, remember the things he has to do? All he
asks is you follow and obey in love, so you can love others as he has. We all
have characteristics of our dads, but we can also have characteristics of God in
us, by his spirit. So do you want to still be a cool dad?
Simply put, the holy spirit provides what we need to follow
Jesus in obedience. That one sentence needs to stick with you. Whether in a
cool convertible, on a motorcycle, and even particularly if stuck with an uncool
SUV? See SUV’s will never be cool, no matter what we are told. To me another
lie of the devil. But Jesus is cool, and what better way to live than to be
cool in Jesus? I tell people, Jesus and motorcycles, it just don’t get any
better. Rides with him prove it, with my wife and son only add to it. But it
is always about Jesus....so be cool about what you say about him or what you did
on your vacation, we know what your dad drives. Jesus may have been in one
accord, not an Accord, proving by his spirit all things are possible. Any bets
in the garage in heaven a few more horsepower are just waiting.....heaven is
cool, hell isn’t. How cool is your God.....
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com