Perhaps the longest year in any male’s life is the year before getting his
driver’s license. For me in Jersey at 17 got you driving privileges, so at 16
you were still dependent on your parents to get you anywhere, which meant no
dating yet, or finding someone older who had a license and access to a car. And
in the world of give and take, as you lowered your standards for friends, the
car and license older guy was raising his. Now we had befriended two older
guys, both by one year, Gary, chubby and wouldn’t shut up, but thought he was a
ladies man, and Franz, shy and German, who was very demanding. Franz had access
to his parents Cadillac, a 1962 Sedan De Ville, and Gary could use his mom’s
1970 Camaro, a brand new car! And so we would go out looking for dates, with
the asset of having a car, but the liability of Gary and Franz. And after
trying every line possible to a Jersey girl, we would always end up asking her
“can you get a date for my friend?” Whose friend always used too much hair
spray, too much perfume, had braces or zits, and sometimes would smell of
garlic. Girls with a moustache were automatically excluded, and it was this
“can you get a date for my friend” girl who often made or would break the
evening. And it was funny how particular Gary or Franz could be, but such was
the price you paid of being underage and not licensed.
Now what we didn’t know, was that the girls could play the same game.
Attractive girls would use a big sister, or cousin, to drive them around, and
then we would become the “can you get a date for my friend?” More than once I
endured a girl from South Plainfield, just so my other friends could get a date,
knowing some day they would extend me the same favor. And when you did become
the date, you never told them where you lived, they could drop you off where
they got you, or a block from home, or at a friend’s house, telling them that
that was where you lived. Your night’s rental had expired, and you soon learned
there were two kinds of girls, those you took home to dinner, and those you
didn’t. A mistake you never wanted to repeat, for having them call you could
ruin your reputation. Being of age was a long way to go, and a short time to
get there. And you never gave them your phone number, in this pre-cell phone
generation, your parents might answer, and then they would ask questions you
couldn’t, shouldn’t, or wouldn’t answer. So we usually gave them
Gary’s number, his mom was proud of his newfound girlfriends. And such was life
in Jersey in the early 70’s. And every time I see a 1962 Cadillac, I think of
Franz and missed opportunities, and when I see a 1970 Camaro, that first year of
the new body style, I wince, knowing that even a cool car in the hand of a fool
cannot overcome certain limitations. Maybe there is a substitute for cubic
inches, but these guys weren’t it!
Proverbs is a wealth of good advice, if you take it. It talks
of fools, and of wisdom, and also of wayward women who seek you out in the
night. But it also warns “do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good
morals.” And of course we learned early in our Christian walk the importance of
good company, by spending time with bad and suffering the consequences. But
what if you are that bad company? What if you claim to be a Christian, but yet
act like you are still in the world? What if you are the one that she brags
about in church, but the one she is warned about when not there? Such lessons
can be invaluable, but even better learned by obedience rather than sacrifice.
I was a new person when I came to Jesus, and looked at women completely
different, they were now my sisters. But some Christian women were still on the
prowl for that Christian man, and I fell into the trap more than once. And it
hurt, and would take some time to recover, I had become proud of my celibacy,
but not all women were impressed by it. So I sometimes still found myself being
“a date for a friend,” and suffering the consequences. I had enough sin going
on outside of the body, I didn’t need to add sin within the body to it. So I
learned to say no, and stayed away from those who were bad company. A choice I
made, and found an interesting turn of events. Good girls wanted to go out with
me, this once bad company had become good company because of my stand for Jesus,
and saying no to temptation. Imagine the look on some old girl friend’s faces
when they wanted something else, and I offered them Jesus! In a dream sequence
form my old days, I even had two girls who were in Gallery fight over me one
night, because I told them both no, which made them want me more. I had come a
long way in a short time, but still had a long way to go.
Make up your mind today you are going to be the kind of person
Jesus wants you to be. It is OK to say no to sin, it actually feels pretty
good, and gives you a power previously unknown. Don’t let sin control you, you
control it. It may be drugs, cars, motorcycles, careers, the girl at work, or
anything else that takes your eyes off Jesus. Say no to it, Jesus has more to
offer. Remember there are the girls you took home to your parents, and those
who you gave Gary’s address. Obedience is truly better than sacrifice, and I
know that each no leads to a better yes. Not bad for a guy from Jersey...and no
you can’t borrow my car for a date. Do not be deceived...and look out for
wayward women. It was Eve who took the first bite in the garden, Adam could
have said no. What will you say?
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com