After one year since my open heart surgery, I will be riding my first 3500
mile month. A feat I used to do regularly, without getting tired, or bored, now
I am fatigued from, but very happy. I have ridden six different motorcycles
this month, two of mine and four from Triumph, and will get a seventh one
tomorrow. The first 1200 miles were on an 800 mile round trip to the Hollister
Rally, which we turned into a 1300 mile ride, and then 1100 miles on a 2014
Explorer XC. Then the phone rang, it was Mick, he had bikes to go to Sturgis on
the Demo truck, they needed quick miles, 300 each, and you have 5 days to do
it. So...I put 300 on an 800 Tiger, another 300 on an Explorer, and 500 on a
2014 Thruxton. Now usually I get to brag about states and time zones crossed
for these amount of miles, but this time I never left California, and after the
Hollister ride, I never left So Cal. Where did I go and better yet, where have
I been? Never went above 127 mph. Gotta stop and think on that one...so here
goes.
The city of Los Angeles has turned into a metro area that extends almost to
San Diego, only interrupted by Camp Pendleton on I-5, north to Santa Barbara,
and east the desert. Now it is comprised of Orange County, the Inland Empire,
Riverside County, and Ventura County, and once you have left them, then you are
out of the metro area. 200 miles in any direction from my house, with one
obstacle in your way when going north-Los Angeles, the city of Angels. And the
question that begs to be answered is, how do you get around LA? I mean, how do
you escape So Cal on your way out of this huge metro area?
For the first trip, try I-5, to the 405, then back on the 5 north of the
city. Or take the Hollywood Freeway from the 5 to the 101. Or take I-15 to the
91, the 71, the 57, the 210, to the 5 and you are passed downtown-again. Or the
60, the 10, or the 210 off of the 15. Or the 101, 134, or the 118 and you still
can hit the 5 by Magic Mountain. Sport bike in your blood, take the 138 to
Angeles Crest, or stay on the 138 to the 14-cutting off into the San Gabriel’s
as you wish. So many roads, so many miles, and no wonder I rode so much and
never went anywhere but LA! And there are more, but I think you get the idea.
So one day I decided I would be smart, and rode to Victorville, then home, an
easy 225 mile afternoon, with minimum of traffic. But the next day I had missed
the stress and confusion of LA and rode through the Valley, almost to Malibu,
where the traffic was horrible, and turned around in the land of the
Kardashian’s-Calabasas. Lane splitting my way through LA, what was I thinking
that afternoon, and then home-again. It seems everywhere you look you are still
in LA, or at least under its influence. But this weekend will be
different.
So on Sunday Theresa and I rode out to East County, to Pine Valley. Riding
on her Bonneville, we stayed on some old roads, and ran slower speeds, and I was
able to ride without thinking of my next freeway. 150 easy miles, never went
above 80, and was rested when we got home. But tomorrow Orange County calls,
then downtown San Diego. It seems I have to ride in this world, but do I have
to become part of it? I have to realize that although I ride through LA, I am
not part of it. Sometimes I can ride around it or ride around LA.
Just like Jesus tells us, and used the example of His disciples. He told
them not to be part of the world, even though they would live in it. He would
not rescue them from it, but rather take them through it, not take them out of
it. Today I know of certain Christians who only will shop in a Christian
business, do business with only Christians, and hang out with only Christians.
Yet talk to me about what great evangelists they are. Are they only
evangelizing each other, or am I missing something? Aren’t we supposed to go
out into the world, proclaiming the gospel, and shining our light, rather than
hiding it just for others who think and agree with us? What if one of these had
not approached you in your fallen, pre-Christian state, would you have ever been
saved? What if you stayed within your church, your family, and business and
never got out from under it? Is that evangelizing? Is that spreading the
word? Yet many criticize those of us who do, just like they did Jesus for
hanging out with crooks, hookers, junkies, bikers, and others who were
considered less desirable. And they miss out on the blessings of the harvest,
and of getting to know all of Jesus. They stay in their comfort zone,
uncomfortable, never knowing the comfort zone in the spirit, depending on Jesus
to meet their needs-of Him taking them through the valleys and over the
mountains-they never leave where they are, and are miserable. It’s like never
leaving LA-there is a whole another world out there, just past the city-and off
the freeways.
So Jesus prayed we would be safe from the evil one, and not fall into the
world’s traps and snares. To rise above them, and not be contaminated by them,
we can be who we are in Jesus, but only with Him. Today you will be offered
many roads to take, some will take you in and some around. And just like LA,
there will be traffic jams, obstacles to go around. Careful planning does not
always prepare for the unexpected accidents slowing traffic, or guarantee a safe
route. Only in Jesus will you reach your destination. It may no be what you
expected, but it is what He knows will be, and you can trust Him. Jesus always
got where He was going-and you can too, He promises heaven, can you think of
another way to get there? There isn’t. So trust Him today-just like all roads
don’t lead to LA, and some roads lead around LA, not all roads lead to Christ.
Believe Jesus rather than some bumper sticker on the car you are stuck behind in
traffic, either way you can be in the way. One is in the way of others, the
right one is in the way of Jesus. I’m not sure how I did it, 3500 miles and
never leaving home. My back yard must be larger than others-explaining why the
road is my home, and why I feel so comfortable on it. Jesus lived His life on
the road...another great reason to ride. Some ride around LA, I choose to ride
in and around LA...and around the US of A... in Christ.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com