Here in So Cal we have just survived the coolest and wettest winter in a
few years. Suffering through lows in the 30’s, and highs touching the 70’s, it
has been rough for many who ride. Especially for those that consider 50 degrees
the threshold for taking the car. But with 70-80’s forecasted for the next few
weeks, spring is springing like it should, and soon many cold weather sheltered
riders will be hitting the roads. Many for the first time since last fall in
other states, but here it may have been just a matter of weeks. We are ready,
the bike should be ready, the road is calling, is it ready? Let’s see....
Are we really ready? Theresa makes fun of me for waving at bikes when in a
car, it takes me a while to get used to driving after riding so much. Some
rarely if ever see me in a car, a woman I worked with once asked me if I even
had one? So it takes awhile to acclimate, to not drive like I ride, and cannot
lane split, park close to the buildings, and share spaces with other riders.
But for the rider just getting out after winter, it takes a few miles, or many a
few miles to get his riding head on straight. Sudden power where before there
was none, and cops just waiting to remind you of your speed experience. So take
it slow, ride some back roads, no matter how seasoned, take the time to get used
to riding again. I know how the transition from bike to car is....
Have you hugged your motorcycle lately? Kept the battery charged all
winter, so you don’t get that wretched clicking sound the first nice day? Has
it been covered or at least garaged? Parked outside destroys a bike’s patina in
a few days. Have you checked the oil, the tires are probably low on air, the
only thing I remember from chemistry is low temp, low , pressure, if I had known
it applied to motorcycles I may have paid better attention. Check your ride
over, adjust your helmet, adjust the mirrors, push the button....and go! And
you are riding, and soon all winter is forgiven, you are riding again! But what
about the road?
With flooding here due to El Nino’s effect on poorly engineered drainage,
many roads have dirt, leaves, and rocks on them, strategically located on
corners where they cannot be seen into well into the curve. Leaves are the
worst, I am surprised no one has ever come up with a lubricant that is leaf
based, they are so slick. Same with road paint, one little slip can ruin your
day or riding year. Look around! Sinkholes have become the new pothole, I once
hit a pothole in Philadelphia that knocked my headlight out of the bucket. They
are there and to be avoided, and with gravel from them around, be even more
careful. More than one rider has gone flat tracking style avoiding them.
Around construction zones, look out for dirt, nails, rolls of duct tape, and
other hazards. And most of all, learn how to spot the rude and ignorant SUV
monster who just has to catch up on her Facebook at 60 mph while crossing over
into your lane. A lot of new drivers on the road over the winter, just waiting
to make their first accident claim, don’t be it! Ride safe, ride invisible,
ride looking for an out, and always looking around, back and front. It’s
February, do you know where your motorcycle is? Don’t let someone else find it
for you first!
Now that you are prepared to enjoy life as it should be again on two
wheels, enjoy the ride. The one of many ahead. Not paranoid, but safe, in
knowing your surroundings. Do we walk with Christ the same way? Are we
confident in him as to say we trust him, or do we live constantly in fear of
what may happen next? Are our prayers one of restitution after an accident or
event we knew to avoid, or are they from time spent in prayer before? Or are
they ones of hope that God agrees with your decision, rather than you agreeing
with his? So many things to check before going out, no one ever told me it
would be so hard to be a Christian. But yet it is all worth it, even in the
toughest of days, for it is in our weakness his strength is made perfect. Like
the song Jesus Loves Me, we are weak and he is strong. And knowledgeable too,
and all wrapped up in a heavenly love just for us. He meets us just where we
are, and we don’t have to dress different, attend a special service, or go
through anyone else to meet with him. And if you ride, you know how precious
that time behind bars with Jesus can be, no one to interrupt the time spent with
him. Another great but often discounted reason to ride.
But remembering the most important part of prayer is to listen, he already
knows what we need and desire, Jesus once asked “why do you call me Lord, Lord
but don’t do the things I say?” Sound familiar? He is always speaking, are we
listening? He knows what lies ahead on the road, what careless driver is
texting, and where the potholes are. He also knows the condition of your heart,
and of your ride, are you still with me? This weekend, and many to come, the
winter blues will end and the motorcycles will hit the road, are you taking the
same approach with Jesus as we are with them? Have we been in a winter of no
fellowship, of waiting for the weather to change things, to be free from the
conditions, or have we been spending time with him daily? Are you just taking
Jesus out of winter storage? Is your heart that cold?
Do you find your leathers are old and cracked like old wineskins, or is it
what you are putting in them changed from last fall? Jesus tells us to not put
new wine into old wineskins, they will crack. Religion may be the old wineskin
you are getting back into after being away, but he wants to make it personal.
Lose a few pounds of sin, and be the new creature he wants you to be. Suddenly
the jacket fits, the bike sounds better, the roads cleaner, and the ride
improves. Or are you stuck, repeating the same old tired exercise of religion?
Attending services, paying your tithe, taking notes, and listening to KWVE? Not
bad things, but without the spirit guiding you in them, they are just things.
Like a motorcycle without a rider, it goes nowhere. How many of us are in with
Jesus for the ride? Wherever it takes us? Can we call him Lord when it comes
to riding too? One quick decision to change can result in changing your ride
forever. Do you really want all the things of God in your life?
Many service departments will be filled with bikes that won’t run right
after all winter of not being ridden. Don’t be like them with your life, don’t
wait for your annual road trip to church on Easter. Get right with God today,
start riding in the spirit and see all the things of God, not just from behind a
windshield. If Kawasaki can let the good times roll, can you even imagine what
Jesus can do for you? It’s February, and I know where my motorcycles are, and
where I am with Jesus. Do you?
love with compassion,
Mike
mattehw25biker.blogspot.com