please-just one more rule will set me free

A friend commented to me yesterday how she had attended a meeting of her mom's friends, and all they talked about was what they could and could not do. A meeting of rules. From clothing, to patches, to where they would go, or not go, and who and how they would do it-all they did was discuss rules. Which left her feeling uncomfortable, for what if she didn't know all their rules and violated one? Would they discipline her, she was trying to obey, or would they make a one time exception? What if she wanted to join, would she have to learn all the rules? What if she didn't agree with all of them, but just wanted to visit them once in a while, would that be another rule? And if there was no rule for that, would they make another, based upon existing rules? What if she had just come along for the ride? I think you get the idea.

We visited Shipshewana, Indiana on our last trip. An Amish colony, which has been turned into a tourist attraction. With the promise that because they are Amish-a group of religious people who traditionally shun themselves from the world, but somehow have opened up to the idea of free enterprise, that all would be OK. No pictures was once the rule-OK here. A simple life-not once you open a business. And where once they had private lives, now they were open to the public, by their invitation via billboards, for all to see their hypocrisy. OOPS, did I say that? Seems an income from being Amish is acceptable, at least to this colony, but will put them at odds with more traditional Amish. More rules-I think you get the idea.

Legalism is what the Bible calls it. When Moses came down with the Ten Commandments, God also gave man over 600 laws to live by-we were so screwed up we had to be told right from wrong. But Moses had the condensed version, and soon that was too many. So Jesus, knowing how confused and immoral we could be, took it down to two. Love God first will all your heart. Simple enough. Then love your neighbor as yourself. And enjoy life, free from rules, which only point out our shortcomings. And that no one can or has ever been able to keep all of.

Keep that in mind next time you invite someone to your meetings, or church. They are already buried by laws, which bring death, according to Jesus. Take riding for instance-do you wish to spend your free time being told how to ride, where to ride, and that you may be too slow, or worst too fast? Where is the freedom in being told what to do? Or when? Or how? Or with who? Do you prefer to be out riding, enjoying the roads and time you are allowed, or arguing over rules?

Simply put-if you have no morals, based on Jesus' commandments, you need rules. So next time a church gives you a book on what it believes, or a set of rules, or a handbook of what the club rules are-I pass. They spend more time on laws than what their initial purpose was. Let nothing get between you and God. I want my freedom, that same freedom Jesus died on the cross for. He didn't die for more rules-but to free us from them-it is called mercy and grace. Try that for a rulebook, based on love. He loved us first, because without Him, we never could have loved at all.

So keep the main thing the main thing. Feel welcome in my church, home, or club. Safe in the knowledge that with fewer rules to break, I have less chance to break them, and so do you. But with one simple law-love, we both have a better chance to keep it.

A simple law, for a simple people. Aren't rules fun?

So you can enjoy your meetings-I'll enjoy the ride. It's called love. The first rule broken when you make other rules. Think about that next time you invite someone over.

And you wonder my many don't return, or come when called?

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

being there

In 1967 my father went with the Boy Scouts to Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. He was gone for a month, and this put my mother in charge. She did a great job, and my father had a great trip. I was 13. So did I. It made a huge impact on me, so much that when I took off a month myself in 1975, I used part of his trip for my initial route, seeing for myself things he had shown in the pictures. While talking with them on the last trip, he told us how lucky Theresa and I are to travel together. Admitting, "the sad part of his trip was my mother wasn't with him." He missed her on the trip-which they both knew she couldn't go on, but afterwards he had no one to share it with except the scouts who accompanied him. Who he only saw once a month. And even when sharing the pictures he took, they were his memories, not ours. And the pictures couldn't describe the light, clean air at 11,000 feet. Or the smell of pines and the wildflowers. It is true that one picture may be worth a thousand words, but leaves a void when all the senses are required for the whole story to be told. Including the sense of love and companionship of the heart.

Since our other bikes had sat for over a month, we rode up to see the guys at ECC. Herm, the service manager and I got to talking, and he is going with his wife to the Western Slope of Colorado to mountain bike this month-real Colorado, Denver doesn't count. And he was talking of how the rains cooled everything off in the afternoons of August, and the sweet smells afterward. And I agreed, for having lived at 8300' in the middle of a national forest above Durango, I knew that rain, and those smells. And how everything seemed new after even a short shower. I also knew the sounds of the thunder rolling up the canyon-for 18 miles, and how good it sounded. Emotions and a sensory overload not found in any pictures. And he was enjoying sharing this with someone who knew-had been there, and appreciated it. Oh how I wish I could have two more weeks off to go with him!

Sadly traveling without the one you love can be a lonely ride. No one to share the events with, only like and as to describe them, and then that is a poor excuse. You can't feel the hot ocean water in Tybee Island. Or hear the Southern drawl of the locals. Or smell the subs at Dukes, or explain what it is like riding in the rain, with only a rain suit on. And the isolation of dryness you feel inside, why all hell can be breaking loose outside. That is why I am so blessed to have a great travel partner, best friend, and wife with me. I may have ridden 8800 miles this trip, but so did she. She felt the heat in Oklahoma, and the rain in Mississippi. She enjoyed Savannah with me, and even shared her beignets. And although she has taken thousands of pictures on our trips, without her they are just that-pictures. For without someone to share them with, they lack a depth, a personality, and leave you without words to fully explain them to your audience. No ones face lights up like hers when you mention the beignets at Huey's. Or the taste of a Jimmie's hot dog-which any mention or picture of only makes me want four-I've been there! And like the pulled pork at Arthur Bryant's, you have to try it to believe it. Life can be that personal. And that's the way I like it.

I have many friends who are Bible students. They know all the kings, the battles, have memorized key scriptures,and can recall them all on demand. Like when I tried to find the book of Ruth in the Bible yesterday, I had to sing an old Bible song to remember where she is. But when we sit and share testimonies, they come up dry. Or ask "why does God bless you so much?" Simple-I know the author-personally. They may know the book, but knowing the author makes all the difference. And He rides, and travels with us. And is part of my daily life, not just the trips. Or when it is convenient or I have gotten in trouble-again. He is more than a character in a book, or letters spoken in red. He is alive, and part of my life, for Jesus is the main thing to me. When I say He is all, I mean ALL! And my testimony shares that fact, I hope. Don't be confused by the non-trinity of Father, Son, and the Word. Only when the Holy Spirit is included, will the Word come alive. And only when living in the Spirit, will your life be sweeter, and He is also there when you are alone, to share you trips, trials, victories, and problems with. You are never alone with Jesus.

So get to know Him. Ask Him to be with you before you pick up the Bible. Tell Him you want more than you are getting-you want HIM! And then open your heart, and hang on for the ride of your life. Those who do this, know what I mean. If you don't-you need too.

Travelling is personal to me, but I love to share it. God has made it personal enough to give me Theresa to share it with. But He takes it personal, and wants to go with me. And ever since I have invited Him into my life, He has added life to it. Life you can't see in a photo, or even hear in my stories. He is that personal, and is just waiting to share some time with you.

Jesus Christ changes life. On this trip of life take along this favorite travel partner. There is a reason He tells us to go out, because He too loves to travel, and not be kept in a box. Travel with Him. The road to God may be straight and narrow-only so that it is the shortest way to Him, but getting there the way He guides adds miles of memories, and uses up more of the endless supply of 35mm film our lives come with.

He is not only the only way to heaven, but the best way too. Think of the Spirit guiding you as taking the long way home, a great ride at the end of a long day.

Taste, feel, touch, smell, and see. The book is great, now take the trip with the author. And let us know about the trip-we are waiting to hear-and see the pictures! This time make it personal. Only in Christ.

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

Sardis Motorsports

Motorsport at one time was the premier motorcycle dealer in Albuquerque. Selling Suzuki, BMW, and Triumph, they had two stores-one at the main gate at the fairgrounds on San Pedro NE, prime location, and the other, a new, modern store on Montgomery NE. While other brands were in smaller, less modern and efficient buildings, the Bodwells, owners of Motorsport, were ahead of the curve, with the Montgomery location this modern, glass building, which was frequented by UNM architectural students. They rode, but above that were businessmen, and had been since the early fifties-building a solid reputation in the biker community. And at a time when Honda sold everything, in Albuquerque Suzuki was right there with them, we still sold every Triumph we could get our hands on, and BMW-well, they were BMW. A dealership that was a cut above all other stores at the time, a leader in the biker community. And the first to go on computer with a parts inventory. Big news for 1975! That was the Motorsport that I worked for, and remembered. And that was the Motorsport that I bragged to the guys at PJ's Triumph about-which is a much different Motorsport than I remembered. Thirty years later.

PJ's Triumph is perhaps the premier motorcycle store today in Albuquerque. And with Ducati, and Husky, represent the Euro brands well. From PJ offering me a ride on a custom bobber, I was just some guy pulling in on a Tiger, to Aaron fitting me in while on the road, they ride and get it. They are what Motorsport was, catering to the biker and the biker community-I say was because today Motorsport is out of business. A slow spiral down as the elder Bodwells died, and left the shop in the hands of the family. And truly the expression, "no one does it better than you," applies here. As they lost their standing and their customers within the community, bikers went elsewhere. And guys like PJ and others were there to welcome them into their stores. The last time I went by the store on Montgomery, it was abandoned, for sale or lease. The windows filthy, trash in the yard, and weeds. Something that never would be allowed in my memory. And as they drifted into this spiral of decay with no return, they became a blight on the community. So when I told Jonezy or Dylan about working there, they raised an eyebrow, and my reputation with them was based on me-rather than my memories. A Motorsport that didn't exist anymore, and didn't in their memories. And maybe that is how it should be.

Jesus writes one of the seven letters to the church at Sardis. He tells them they have lost their first love. They have abandoned Christ, and although their buildings still stand, and the people are still there, the Holy Spirit has left them. They shut Him out and went their own ways, and lived by their past reputation. Even the church was deceived into thinking they were the same, but God knew better. Religion had taken over, and the numbers looked good, so leave me alone God. And so He did, and the world around them. The church at Sardis was dead, and so was the city. Rarely attacked, because they had become of no value, they died of neglect and abandonment-not realizing it. And just like my memories of Motorsport, the current generation knew better. Their memories were fresher, the older generations were gone, and now they were the latest, and greatest. And without knowing, I had labeled myself with the past-but was living in the present.

Over a period of years, I have seen ministries come and go. All meaning well, all trying to do what they think God is showing them. And many sadly are the church of Sardis within the world. Numbers based, growing the ministry, but neglecting Jesus. Oh, they use His name, even says so on their web site, but they have lost their way, forsaking their first love. And leading others down the path of destruction without knowing it, led by a leadership who only preaches to the choir, the same old tune, but different words. It is all about them, and only the truly spiritual awake see it, and then they become the bad guys when they confront them with it.

Who is your first love? Is He the same one you gave your heart to years ago? Is He still fresh and alive in your heart, and giving you a reason to get up each morning? Or have you forsaken Him, maybe subtly, by following a club, church, denomination, pastor, or teacher? Do you need a back patch, bumper sticker, or t-shirt to tell someone who is your first love, or do your actions reflect it? Are people led to seek God by your attitudes and actions? Or encouraged to join an organization that believes like you?

Check into Jesus today, and see what you have been missing. He is memories to yet occur, and who better to trust tomorrow with than someone who has been there? And holds the future? No one travels to Sardis anymore, the glory is gone. Just like Motorsport. Don't let your life go the same way. Share Jesus. Speak the words He gives you. Be yourself in Him. And ride a fast cycle. Because the truth that sets you free, may be a burden to those of Sardis.

Sardis had a past. Jesus promises a future. Only with Him as your first love will you enjoy the blessings of life. And see the promise of heaven.

Like my old shirts, memories fade. You won't find replacements for them by shopping at Sardis. Look to the heavenlies-I hope to see you there! I know I'll be!

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

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both are motorcycles-which one are you?

The word makeover has invaded our daily walk with a great impact. We have TV shows where they take ugly people and make them beautiful, shows where they tear down an old home and build a new one-my friend Gerald Martinez in Albuquerque had one done for his ministry, and shows where they even "pimp" your ride, there again taking a car in bad shape, and rebuilding it. No part of your life is exempt, and given the proper finances, and/or connections, you too can be made over.

One of my motorcycles, the 1978 Suzuki GS1000E is a good example. I am not sure of its condition before I bought it, but many original parts are on it. But I can also see where new parts were installed, making it look like it belongs in a showroom some 33 years ago-and runs as well too. Someone put a lot of time and money into it, then someone-me, put a lot of money into buying the finished product. Which is usually still less than all the time and effort people put into restorations. But they have the upper hand, because it is up to them to what level the restoration is done. We have 20', 10', 5', and show levels of judging. Mine is about a 5 footer, but still almost perfect enough to fool anyone not there in 1978. Only the guy who restored it, and a judge at a show would know. As for me-I don't care, I ride it, and love the looks on people's faces when the remember what they were riding that year. And how far technology has come! Grab the brakes with both hands!

But beauty can be only skin deep, and unless you spend the big bucks, for a frame off restoration, there will always be some doubt as to what lurks beneath, or how far the restorer went. Someone will always be there to judge their work, and take a swipe at your pride and joy. And so you take the risk of a pretty face with unseen problems, or over restored to a level never seen from the factory. You pays your money, and takes your chances.

What is it worth? Whatever someone will pay for it. Memories not included in the price. The market for sentimentality is an active one, only you can set a price on that. And with prices rising, you can't pay too much, you just pay it too soon.

Makeovers are nothing new. Some 2000 years ago Jesus promised that we could be a new creature in Christ. New-the old passed away. And that can be scary-pride being what it is, and many being blessed with so much, why would they want to change? But no matter the life level of accomplishment, we all have a common gene-sin. And only Jesus can make us new. Not restored, but a new creature in Christ-behold, the old is passed away. From the inside out, where no one but He can see. But the same old Mike on the outside-visually. The only way to get into heaven-where the new bodies we are promised are available. That sounds good to me, for this morning my back is stiff, and my legs hurt. Soon no more pain-YEAH!

But Jesus also performs a restoration that only He can, and only God can see. Only Jesus can remove the stain of sin. Not sanded down and primed and painted. Not replaced with new parts, and not covered with a sticker. Not like new-you are new! He takes it away, restoring us to a state not known since the day of creation-perfection. No sin-just like it never existed, because it doesn't any more. And unlike my favorite shirts, with stains of life in them, I am clean-no record and no mark where the sin was-in my heart. And then for the first time will it beat as one, with the creator who is the only true restorer. And when judgment day comes, unlike a show judge who is looking for errors to subtract points, I will be perfect-100%! Just because I chose to trust Jesus with my life, and in my life.

The level of restoration depends on how much you want to spend. Jesus paid it all. And you cannot afford not to. Hell is the alternative. No invoice to pay, my life is stamped "paid in full." It starts with a decision today to accept Him into your life and repent of your sin.

Don't you wish all repairs were as easy? And as successful? Only when restored to the factory original-by our creator will we ever know! Both pictures are of a motorcycle-which one are you?

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

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when life makes dollars, not sense

Thirty days has September, April, June, and November. And also the amount of days on the road of our latest trip across America. For those of you driven by numbers, here are some to think about. Thirty nights in 18 different beds, three time zones, 21 states, 8800 miles, and a million new memories, some which are just beginning to surface. For it is not unusual when looking at the thousands of pictures Theresa took-using two cameras, an i-pod, and her cell phone, there are places the camera has been, while I was busy riding. And it not only enhances memories, but creates new ones, as I get to go places I was but don't remember. And I love going new places.

Riding into Evansville, Indiana on the way home, we were greeted by yet another empty factory-this one said Whirlpool on it. And once again I was confronted with the fact, that just like South Bend, Hanover, Bethlehem, Chester, and many other one time thriving industrial points in the US of A, that we didn't quit wearing clothes or shoes, or driving cars, or using washing machines-we just don't build them here anymore. And where once a thriving community stood, a ghetto had replaced it. While the new city, whether in Mexico, Thailand, Japan, or China, now boasted of their thriving communities. Not because Americans couldn't build it or design it anymore, or not even because our quality had fallen-in these off shore third world countries you could build it cheaper. With lower wages, for a lot less money. A sick way of congratulating the American worker for decades of performance. Take away the factory, and the jobs go with it. So do the shoe stores, grocery stores, car dealerships, and all the diners, hardware stores, and other smaller businesses that are fed by a common denominator-a factory. Which meant jobs, which meant prosperity.

Where once Detroit met GM and Chrysler-now it means FIAT. And Government Motors. South Bend once meant Studebaker, Hanover meant shoes, and Bethlehem meant the highest quality steel in the world. Ever hear of the Pittsburgh Steelers? Production was not only woven into our heritage, it paid the way for new and exciting technology. But sadly , like Alfred P. Sloan, CEO, President, and architect of General Motors reminded us, "General Motors is not in the business of making cars, we are in the business of making money." And so, good business told us go where the costs were less, neglecting how you became successful in the first place. So to me whenever I see property where a factory once was, or an abandoned building with the windows broken out, with people just hanging around with no hope, I realize that a business needs to make money to stay in business, and that money is not evil, but the love of it is. You see when Henry Ford set out to build cars, he saw a transportation need. Just like the Studebaker Brothers. Brands of sheets and linens like Dan River had the town name on them-reflecting quality. Frigidaires and Whirlpools-the name told you just what they were. And Bethlehem Steel-the best in the world. Period. Until someone found out how to do it cheaper, but not better. To squeeze the extra penny or two of profit from the dollar, then quality took the back seat. Reflected today in the junk Wal Mart sells, a company that only ten years ago bragged on how it sold mostly American made goods, and due to demand, or availability, now is mostly imported. With two languages printed on the labels. And we find America has sold its soul for a buck, which now is really only worth 85 cents.

A question we need to ask ourselves, those who call themselves Christians, "isn't it enough to serve God just because of who He is?" Isn't creator of the universe enough, but add Jesus and the salvation He offers, what else could you need? But yet, I see many who have fallen on a false gospel, where success is counted in dollars, for the LOVE of money is the root of ALL evil. As I think of my neighbor, in Kuwait for a year, while his kids and wife need him here, I wonder, not how much did you make extra, but how much did it cost? Time, memories, and a family forsaken for a few extra dollars. Enforcing in me at least, how important it is to trust God. to put Him first-just because of who He is.

Today many reap where they did not sew, but won't much longer. The signs are there for the rapture-Jesus calling His church out of this world, and we need to be ready. For unlike the factory leaving town, and leaving those behind in shock and disbelief, the Bible has spelled out what is to come. The signs are here, the time is near. The question is are you? For God's plan has warned you, it is your decision if you go with Him. For God so loved the world He gave His only son...do you love the world so much you will deny Him? Do you not realize that without Him you are like the empty, crumbling factories left behind?

Learn from history, but trust in God. For His move is to the heavenlies-no unemployment, no hunger, no sickness, and a bright future. A contract with you that never needs renegotiating. A commitment bought and paid for-so that you never need to worry.

Today jobs are in demand, but it is really the income from them we need. Why not seek and trust a God who will meet all your needs? Who can provide through or above anything a job can provide? TRUST GOD! Life is not about numbers, but who you spend them with. Do I hear an AMEN for eternity?

And for those of us who like to travel to new places, how can you beat heaven? Are you along for the ride?

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

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touring by motorcycle, but not tourists

While a Service Manager at the Mercedes Benz dealer in La Jolla, we had mostly a local clientele, as La Jolla was isolated. One customer, an elderly woman, called one day, telling me of a trip north she was planning, and could I check out her car for the trip. When she stopped by the next day, we got talking of her trip. Up north, was it San Francisco? The Napa Valley? Maybe Oregon or Seattle? "No," she told me, she was going to Del Mar. Eight miles away! To her, up north, for she rarely ventured from the village. I imagine down south meant San Diego!

Day two with Mary FNY was our planned trip to Montauk Point, as far east as you can go on Long Island. And although Mary had lived there her whole life, she had never ventured farther than Sag Harbor and the Hamptons. So we started our ride, with the backup plan of visiting her cousin who lives in Sag Harbor. Now the ride is mostly four laner, until you get to the outskirts of the Hamptons, then turns into two lane local roads. And I am still amazed at how one stop sign can cause such a traffic jam. So we decided to stop at a deli for something to drink, and a pit stop. The smells from this pizza/deli were contagious, so I advised Theresa and Mary to check it out. Theresa came back, then followed by Mary, with the owner. Who rides, a Harley, and turned us on to some great back roads, to see the real beauty, and miss all the traffic. And so we came into Sag Harbor not as a tourist would, but as the locals do. Breathtaking beauty, lots of green, farms, polo grounds, and things we would have missed on the highway. While stuck in traffic.

While cruising the village, which has people who note an empty parking space, and guide you to it, we stopped in an antique shop, and looked over the local goodies. The woman there was very friendly, and when we told her that we might be staying in Sag, encouraged us to go to the Point. Which was only 20 miles away, and without her encouragement, we would have missed. Again on back roads out of town, and going through the Hamptons and the other small villages along the way. And the point was breathtaking. Blue sky and ocean all around, and the lighthouse. With no people! Surely God had blessed us by encouraging us to go-and taking the roads we did! Then lunch at a clam bar on the way back, and somehow life just doesn't get any better. All because God sent two people to direct and encourage us!

Same destination, different trip. Just like being a Christian and knowing home is heaven. But without the rules and legalism that religion puts on us. Being led by the spirit, trying new things when guided by Him, and allowing God to be our guide-Lord is what we call Him, so why don't we let Him lead?

Why are so many Christians like the woman in La Jolla, and never venture out and into the beauty God provides? Maybe our lack of trust of God, when combined with leaning on our own understanding curtails God's will for us, and robs us of blessings. When just a simple step of faith, or ride of one, takes us into places with Him, and we are able to have a relationship with Him, based on trust and love-His! Not our own understanding. A peace with a security that surpasses any understanding. But you must let Him!

Jay Gatz, aka the Great Gatsby, once noted the rich are different than us. There is truth in that. But even truer is the richness only found in Jesus Christ. A richness not based on net worth or power, not based on social position or fame, but based on the spirit. Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

What does your Lord say? Not sure? Check out the road you are on. Laws, rules, and a performance based atmosphere? Try Jesus. And find true freedom in the Holy Spirit. Roads you would have missed, meals you would have forsaken, and traffic you would have avoided. Just because you would not have let the God you call Lord, guide you. A road not found on any map, but readily available to you when living in the spirit.

On a road to Montauk. Get the point?

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

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the neighbors are talking in my sleep

Succumbing to too much lobster, along with too much fun, and Mary FNY's great hospitality, we fell asleep early at Mary FNY's the first night. And after travelling through the midwest and south in the midst of a heat wave, here by the beach we were able to sleep with window open, aided only by the ceiling fan, and our covers pulled up. AAAAH! And I had slept very soundly all night when I was awakened by voices. Now at home this would mean the dog was out at 3am, and Theresa was threatening her to come in. Or Andrew had fallen asleep with the TV on, or the party house was partying. But here the voices I heard sounded like they were coming from the next room. And they were. The next room in this case the house next door, about 10' away. So I rolled over while the neighbors had breakfast, and as they continued to talk in my sleep, safe in the knowledge that I could hear everything they were saying-wait a minute? That means they could also hear everything we were saying too! But what is said in the neighborhood stays in the neighborhood, long before Las Vegas made it a tag line, and no home owner association could ever enforce this common sense, neighborly relationship. And as this was probably a seasonal event, as winter would keep the windows closed, and only the silence because of the absence of AC in the background made the voices more pronounced. Good thing I didn't smell bacon, or I would have been right over.

And I wondered, when we met the neighbors, how much had Mary told them, or had they overheard from conversations? Big brother may be watching, the neighbors are always listening.

Now this being the Thursday before the 4th of July, in California the place would be overwhelmed. Three day weekends here start on Wednesday, and end the next Tuesday. Figuring travel and prep time for whatever you are going to do takes a full week. But it was very quiet, no extra traffic yet, and since we had last eaten before going to bed, off we went to eat breakfast at the Beach Diner. I can still taste the pork roll-fortunately not from indigestion. And then on to the Hamptons and Montauk Point-120 miles away. A great day was ahead of us.

Most of us don't talk in our sleep-fortunately. But we make up for it while awake. And being of the persuasion of sometimes only opening my mouth to change feet, I had felt like I was invading on someone's privacy while listening to the neighbors talking in my sleep. But I wasn't snooping, but still couldn't not listen. I think Elijah, when in the cave would be able to associate with this. While looking for God in the wind, and thunder-he was quite the drama king, God spoke in a still, small voice, so that Elijah could still hear Him despite the noise. A voice Elijah knew, a tender voice, familiar. The way the Holy Spirit still talks to us today. And like a shepherd talks to his sheep. Even though they are in pens with others, they know the shepherd's voice, and only his sheep will come when called. And for those of us who responded when the Spirit called us, we know that voice. It is sweet unto our ears, calming and providing security in times of need.

Yet we discount the fact that we can control our tongue, but not our ears. God doesn't waste words on us, but we do on others. Allowing us to fall away from Him, a wall built up between us of sin. But He hasn't left the relationship, we have, and He is there to welcome us back-open arms, not closed fists. To forgive and forget, and to carry on with us. Safe in the fact that He is there with us, and nothing can separate us from His love.

And that is why I fell back to sleep that morning. It was nice to hear signs of life, even that early, but the peace that God gives surpasses anything else-including trying to understand it. And a quick lesson to remember-you never know who is listening-but God always is.

And He loves us anyway! Need a miracle-here is a good one to start your day with. Despite what He knows about us, Jesus loves me! His window is always open for me to call on Him, and for Him to answer back. So next time you wonder is someone listening, don't look around, look up. Right into the face of a loving Father. He not only hears, but listens. And is always listening to us, and for us.

A lesson learned at Mary FNY's house. While asleep/awake with the windows open. Good things the blinds were closed!

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

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