Coming
of age in 1970, the day you got your license meant the attraction of
horsepower. V-8’s with up to 500 hp, bucket seats, and where a 442 Olds meant
four barrel, four on the floor, and dual exhausts. But soon would come to mean
four cylinders, forget it, and too slow. Six cylinder engines were for economy
cars, and no one drove anything Japanese, they were cheap, tinny, and small.
Foreign meant VW, MG, or Volvo. Gas was cheap, $2 would keep you cruising for
the weekend, and GM ruled the world. And all was well. Then in 1973 due to our
backing our ally Israel, OPEC, owned by the Arabs, declared war on us at the gas
pumps. Gas went from 25 cents a gallon-doubling! The cold war had become a gas
war.And we were losing. And immediately big cars, big V-8’s and horsepower were
nasty words. Miles per gallon, or MPG substituted for horsepower, and by 1980,
coming of age was a way different prospect than in 1970. A second gas crisis
had gas at $1/gallon, and many swore to quit driving once it got so expensive,
among them the same ones who would quit smoking when cigarettes hit $1/pack, and
coffee hit $1/pound. So much for promises not kept with gas at $4/gallon,
cigarettes over $6, and a latte over $5! So V-8’s were out, one time selling in
over 75% of new cars, and a 6 cylinder meant the big engine. Four cylinders
were the rule, and GM would answer the call for smaller, more efficient cars
with the X cars. No V-8 even available, and 110 horses was all you got, along
with sluggish performance, but better gas mileage. These cars were to be our
automotive saviors, the magazines loved them, and so did buyers-for a while.
And then...
GM had hit us with four versions of the X car, with only Cadillac being
exempt, as they were still recognized as “the Standard of the World,” and what a
luxury car should be. But that too was soon to change. But for now we had
Chevy Citation, Buick Skylark, Olds Omega, and Pontiac Phoenix to occupy our
dreams for new cars. My friend John, who always bought the newest bought the
Buick, with V-6 and all the options. It was two toned, brown and tan-earth
colors were in then, and soon found the paint peeling off the inner door
panels. To save money, GM had painted the panels, before they were molded in
whatever color, now they were painted, and repaired by a body shop, in a paint
booth. And that was just the beginning. Great gas mileage promised in the ads,
never arrived, brakes were marginal, and sometimes not there, steering boxes
came loose, and torque steer became a new word in auto speak. We now had front
wheel drive, which when combined with a transverse mounted engine-sideways, now
made the car pull to the right, or left upon acceleration. Lifting the front
end slightly-memories of a huge V-8 trying to lift the wheels off the ground,
only this time it just tried to redirect them. And they soon were to be the
most recalled cars in automotive history. Name it-it needed fixing, reliability
was questionable, and on the V-6, the sixth spark plug was unreachable-you had
to remove the engine to access it! How many left with only a 5 cylinder tune
up! And soon he and others who had purchased them, sold them, and moved on.
And today you can find many cars from the 1960-70’s as collectible, but no one
wants an X car. In fact, try to find any of the Exes for sale, anywhere-they
aren’t there. As if they were all swallowed up, or bought up by GM so they
would be forgotten. And having had an ‘81 X-11 Citation, the muscle version, it
was OK until the engine blew up in Texas, leaving us stranded, until we were
able to have a Chevy dealer take it in trade, a mercy killing, against a used
1984 Thunderbird, a nice car. And so the legend of the exes lives on, only in
bad memories, and of how they were going to change the automotive world for
good. But maybe just a precursor of GM in the future, as Cadillac finally got a
small car, fell from grace as the standard, Olds is gone, Pontiac followed, and
GM went bankrupt, being given to the unions in trade for Democratic votes, the
new GM standing for Government Motors. In jest, of course. But not
really...
Perhaps a recall on people today should be in order. Based on lifestyles,
lack of morals, and a decaying society, how many of us would be exempt? How
many old line religions would welcome us back in? How many have decayed to the
point of moral bankruptcy, only to be bailed out by changing morals or allowing
sin to come in, just to keep the coffers filled? And yet we find Jesus, calling
out to those of us who needed to be recalled to God. He is the only way back,
and we can come as we are-He calls out to us, long before we ever called out to
Him. And today a worldwide recall is going on for sinners, or those who have
fallen away, and the offer is still good today. God is shutting down apostate
churches, removing pastors who don’t represent Him, and opening new churches to
feed those who seek Him. And where this worldwide crusade is going on,
persecution follows. The growth of the Christian church in Egypt, Syria, Sudan,
and other Muslim worlds is growing, but under heavy persecution. Add to that
India, North Korea, China, and other places where even a Bible can get you
arrested or killed, it is dangerous to be a Christian. Yet the church is
growing, both in quantity and quality, as never before, just like Jesus
promised. Those who are being saved recognize Him as the standard of the world,
and despite government intervention the church grows. We are now acknowledging
we are the church, we make it up, and Jesus is the head of it. Just like the
Bible says! And many exes, who have fallen away, are being welcomed back, and
being part of it again. Many new converts each day, but very few new workers.
Where do they go for a spiritual tune up? Where is the horsepower to drive
them? Has the cost to serve become to high?
Jesus tells us the harvest is plentiful-get involved! But He also warns
the workers are few, which means more work for those workers, but also more
blessings. So ask God where you can be involved? Nothing fancy, just meet a
need in Jesus’ name, like in Matthew 25. Feed and clothe the poor in His love,
visit the sick, and those in jail. Take in strangers, we were all strangers to
Him once. And watch as the church grows, and you do too. As Jesus becomes the
standard of your world, you don’t worry about gas prices, food prices, or work.
God provides as you follow Him, and you find He provided despite your not
following Him. Where else would you find that kind of love? The
government?
We used to say God doesn’t make people into freaks, He makes freaks into
people. Still true today. Check with Him about your recall, your coming back
to Him. Ask Jesus into your life, or back into it today. One bad decision
might have separated you from Him, let one good decision change all that today.
Trust Jesus!
Oh, and the warranty has no ending. And despite the lack of care and
maintenance, we still make it. We are forgiven. Never got a card of condolence
from GM. Coming of age now means coming to Jesus. It was once said that “what
is good for GM is good for the country.” Now we know it isn’t. But always what
is good in Christ will be good for us.
love with compassion,
Mike
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com