We never intended to end up riding in Boulder Canyon that afternoon, but
following one road, and then another, we found ourselves over 450 miles away.
Rides were like that when you didn’t have kids to return home to and a sitter to
pay. We were riding our newish 1977 BMW R100S, one of the first sport touring
bikes, suited for long days at high speeds. Now if you have never ridden
Boulder Canyon parts of it are very twisty, and fun, and coming around one
corner faster than we should, but still safe, we saw an old BSA leaning against
a cliff wall, with its rider waving us down. Not sure if it was rider or bike
down, we stopped, and one look at both, gave us no clue. But we suddenly saw
and understood what he needed, and why the bike was leaning. Among other things
it had vise grips welded to the shifter, never a good sign, and oil running
everywhere from the engine. “Wow, a BMW, you guys have the best toolkits,” and
we did. And as he offered to use mine I quickly commented, “there aren’t enough
tools to fix your bike,” and he reluctantly agreed. Which flashed the thought
through my mind of an old motorcycle law, “the better the toolkit, the less you
will need it.” BMW’s was the best and their reliability renown, BSA’s was the
worse, and add in Whitworth size wrenches, and their reliability, no stronger
argument would ever be presented. BMW even bragged in their ads about their
toolkit, which included wrenches of usable quality, a one piece pliers, all the
Jap ones I ever saw were three piece, the screw holding them together either
loose or missing, and had a patch kit, pump, and shop cloth. Probably more than
the BSA along the road owner’s kit at home, but his with one difference, vice
grips, he conveniently welded to where the shifter once was. Add in another
motorcycle law, the farther from home the more prone you are to break down, and
the BSA just out of the garage was inviting trouble. But that was how things
were....a far cry from a toolkit of today.
Most bikes have a few wrenches if any, seems there is nothing you can do
outside of the shop, and reliability has helped prove it. Plus with weight
reduction a prime of sport bikes, a five pound loss of tools and 15 pounds of
center stand make a big difference. In both weight and cost. In fact most owner
manuals and how to articles on riding only mention a cell phone as the most
important tool. And with almost everyone having one, manufactures do not need
to include one, so can spend money like on my new Street Triple R, and provide
two piece of luggage, to carry a lap top and all you may need for the office.
Which doesn’t have a tool kit or center stand. But does have room for a cell
phone I don’t have in the bag I never carry. No vice grips either, metric or
standard....
Which means no screwdriver either, and a short time ago the mystery of
rounded Phillip screw heads was revealed. To the naked eye or the unknowing,
all screwdrivers look the same, with a #2 Phillips the standard. But the
Japanese use a JIS sized screwdriver, allowing heads to be stripped, impact
hammer sales to increase, along with incited bouts of cussing. How many screws
were permanently ruined by the wrong size screwdriver, and no mention of what
size the BMW toolkit had, not that it would have mattered that day. But one
tool never found in any toolkit, is a fine adjusting tool, aka a hammer. When
you cannot force, get a hammer. When you cannot move it, get a longer lever.
If only manufacturers thought ahead, a simple toolkit of a hammer, pry bar, and
cell phone could fix almost any problem. Or, make it worse....
We all know it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark. And for over 120
years he labored to build it. But no mention of tools, no hammers, vice grips,
pry bars, screw drivers, or other tools is mentioned. Yet with a great deal of
precision the ark was built, floated, endured a flood and saved humanity. As
far as we know, without a factory toolkit. You may wonder what was Noah
thinking, but of course he never saw BSA. Or a BMW. The best guess is Noah
would have had primitive tools, but trusting God built it anyway. How many
times have we doubted God when he asks us to do something we are not prepared
for? Whining and crying we don’t have the skills, finances, time, or desire?
Or the proper tools? Funny we can trust Jesus to save us, but when he asks us
to help in the kingdom, we fall apart. And end like the guy on the BSA, in need
of tools we don’t have. But not all repairs need tools, such was the situation
of the good Samaritan. Bypassed by religious men, it took a half breed
Samaritan to stop and help, doing his part, getting him to an inn, then leaving
it for the next guy to follow up on. Without x-rays or even health insurance,
he helped the man, even willing to pay his bill,, including the deductible.
Using the same tool Noah had, faith and obedience, he ministered, doing what
needed to be done and went on. No special offering, or special recognition, he
remains nameless, he is a far cry from Christians today who feel the need to be
recognized for dong the right thing. We are given a glimpse into his character,
as loving your neighbor as yourself, redefining neighbor to mean everyone. With
no set of rules in place other than love, he did what needed to be done. Noah
may have saved mankind, the Good Samaritan made it personal. The trained
religious men had all the tools needed, but left them in their tool box. The GS
had one tool, love, and dealt with the situation. Taking into consideration the
Samaritans were enemies of the Jews, a sign of Jesus we forget, he gives
compassion despite who we are or our situation. His love like his compassion
has no boundaries, the most important tool needed. We also never know how Noah
felt when the rains fell and those who had taunted and criticized him were
banging on the door. Jesus stands at the door knocking, do we let him, do we
honor him by loving our enemy? Could our religious tool kit have all the tools
we need except for love? Do we know that when we minister to those lesser than
us we are ministering to God himself? Do we use the hammer of religion when we
really just need the tools of love and compassion? What if you were that BSA
rider? Or the BMW rider?
How many times do we go to drama or panic forgetting God has left us his
spirit? What you need, when you need it, he will provide. No evidence is found
of Noah’s tools, but the fruit of his labors is well known. Proving not only
the fruit of works of faith, but how God provides what you need no matter what.
Money for bills, meds when ill, gas when on empty, and tools when you are broke
down. Ironically we were unable to help the BSA rider that day, but we tried,
and he knew that. He knew someone else would come along, maybe the biker in
him, as we stopped, some other riders will. But God will provide, saved or
not. How many times can you look back at how he rescued you and then you met
Jesus? We cannot earn his help, it is mercy when fallen, grace when walking
with him. But in every case he will provide a way out. His criteria for
assistance is much different than ours....too many times we take the Samaritan
attitude rather than the action of the Good Samaritan. Maybe the fact we just
stopped and offered was what he needed until real help arrived. Paul planted,
Ananias watered, but remember it was the spirit that provided the growth. The
holy spirit, what we need always and always what we need. And he fits in any
toolkit, on any bike!
Or you can be like my friend under a truck who yelled to me to hand him a
wrench. When I asked “what size?” he replied, “it doesn’t matter. I’m gonna use
it as a hammer.” Any bets this guy owns an old BSA....what’s in your
toolkit?
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com