There was a time when 327, 454, 429, 302, 289, 440, 426, and 383 meant
engine sizes to us. Now due to metrics, we get 5.4, 5.7, 5.0, 4.6, 6.2, and
6.6. Not quite the same romance as “she’s real fine my 409,” but we now live in
the age of metrics. Motorcycles have traditionally been measured in cc’s, with
Harley the lone holdout, with 60, 74, 80(which is really an 81,) 96, 103,and 110
cubic inch engines. Somehow a 750 Triumph doesn’t sound right called 45 cubes,
or a Soft Tail called a 1660. We associate certain constants with certain
products, so there. In soft drinks we now have half litres and 2 litres, close
enough to a pint and half gallon, but not to the bottler. That silly 1.8 ounces
more litre than a quart adds up. Same with metric wrenches of 6-8-10-12 sizes.
They just won’t fit on standard size bolts, no matter how hard you force them
with a hammer. Hammers aren’t metric, yet. And we used to run 100 yard dashes,
now they are 100 meter, football still played on 120 yard fields, you figure it
out. They really are. So it helps to know of what you talk, when you talk, as
not is always as it seems. Fortunately time has not taken that route yet,
except on Star Trek or in Sheldon’s apartment. 60 seconds still equal a minute,
60 minutes still equal an hour, and 60 minutes make an hour. 24 hours make a
day, 12 months make a year, but some months have 30 or 31 days. Confused, then
why does February only have 28, and every 7 years 29? If born on February 29,
how old are you really? So as perfect as time is, it still isn’t when counting
it. With one watch, you always know what time it is, with two you guess. And
even a broken clock is right twice a day. Unless it is on military time....We
are still overcoming the effects of daylight savings time, except for Arizona,
which doesn’t observe it, and certain counties in Indiana. And where did that
hour of sleep we lost go? What about the one we gained?
We say time flies when we are having fun, but how fast much faster does it
go? Why does waiting in line seem so slow, and weekends seem so fast? Why does
the last 2 minutes of a football game last for a half hour? Why does the NBA
measure the last 20 seconds in tenths? Remember the first Z-1R breaking the 12
second barrier at 11.996 seconds? That .004 was important to bragging rights.
And what of two riders, one at 60 and one at 63 mph, at the end of an hour they
are three miles apart. So maybe time isn’t quite as easy as we think. Even a
young Michael Jagger sang that “time is on my side,” and Chicago wanted to know
“does anybody know what time it is, does anybody really care?” Maybe the
Chambers Brothers were the closest with “Time has Come Today.” For no matter
where you are, it is today. At least until tomorrow, which never gets here.
Then today was yesterday. Did your troubles really seem so far away? Maybe a
time out is in order, but time still goes on. So I have another thought, maybe
another way to confuse time. I used to think as I got older, time went
faster. I was close, it was really me getting slower. See above constants for
time. But how about a new way to measure time, but years lived. For example,
your percentage of time lived can be expressed in ratios, based on years lived.
1 year=100%. At age 2, your age is only 50% of your time lived. At 10, 10%, so
the smaller the percentage, the older you are. At 20 you are a 5%er. A age 50
a 2%er. And if you live to be 100, a true 1%er. Sadly not many bikers make it
that far. So maybe time doesn’t fly, but the percentages of your life decrease
as time goes by. And suddenly the smaller the percentage, the better the
bragging rights. How about retiring and getting Social Security at 65, really
only 1.5%? And today I am a 1.6 %er, while my wife is a 1.7%er. I’m older, she
is a bigger percent. Take that old age, maybe Bowie was right, “time can’t
change me, but I can change time.”
God tells us “in the beginning...” but when was the beginning? Did it
start at year 0, and go forward? No calendars found to explain it. And when
did God begin? How can he have always been? But remember infinity goes back as
well as forward. And we can have infinitely big or small. Now although the
word time is mentioned 619 times in the King James, yet God operates outside of
time. We do to, he just gave us time to measure our time on earth. How long is
eternity really? Keep adding one more day and hour....forever. That equals
eternity. But only to our finite minds, for God is infinite, and his scale for
measuring is much different. Peter tells us that “one day as a thousand, and a
thousand as one” to the Lord. No mention of Daylight Savings. Only Jesus
saves. But for over 1700 times God mentions time, so it must be pretty
important. Enough to count, even if we don’t know how he does. We are told the
day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, night mentioned 307 times,
and was there at the beginning, the day and the night making the first day.
Being careful to note that the evening then the morning make the first day, just
as Jews celebrate the beginning of the day at sundown. He warns about two men
in bed at night, and only one is taken. And how we stumble at night when no
light is in us. So night, time, and day are important to God, even though he is
infinite. And we see Jesus, one night, really early morning, but still dark,
walking on the water? What was he doing at 4am there? And why? Never heard
that taught from a pulpit. And finally heaven being a place of light, no
darkness at all. With God shining and providing us light, so bright he
outshines the stars. Forever. A time that we shall live in, forever. Dates
and times will not matter, and we will live in an eternal today. Just like God,
with God. And since even today God is always on time, we should be too. Jesus
never hurried, yet was never late. Maybe because he didn’t wear a watch. Or
really because he was God. And we know how timing can be everything, so don’t
be late in choosing God. If Jesus called us home today are you ready? would
you go even if you weren’t? Are saved, and on cruise, or are you saved and
telling others? Out of the darkness we shine too, so don’t hide your light
under a basket. For just like God’s light shines brighter than the sun, so can
ours. And brightest to a sick and dying world. Is God your strength in time of
trouble?
The Byrds sang “Turn turn, turn,”where time is mentioned 21 times. A time
for everything in God’s world, including time for us. But do we make time for
him? He asks so little, yet gives so much, why do we hold back? Can you pray
for maybe 5 more minutes today? How about getting to church on time, and seeing
the whole service? For your benefit. Trust Jesus, never rush, yet never be
late. The closer we get to God, we see the times and how they really are a
changin’. Could Bob Dylan have been right about that 50 years ago? Maybe, but
always trust God first. If he talks of time so many times, maybe it is time to
consider him in your lifetime. An old poster used to remind us “today is the
first day of the rest of your life.” Make that day with God, and celebrate it
daily. Day and night. According to my theory, as the years add up, the
percentage goes down. Sadly surveys tell us that as we get older, the chances
of being saved go down too. Maybe a correlation, maybe a warning. I got saved
at 4.7%. How about you? And the neatest thing is salvation is 100%. Only
Jesus can deliver that. Isn’t it time you gave him a chance? Whether in
millimeters or inches, If you miss him, you still miss everything. Today is the
day of salvation, but also the day of damnation for those who die without
Christ. Today is the first day of eternity in Christ....times may change, Jesus
never does.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com