It is hard to ride across America anymore without encountering three ever
present men, Wally, Mickey, and Davey. In a world where we look to express our
individual thoughts, where many desire to be their own person, travelling on the
Interstates for many is challenging, “what exit do I get off at?” And thanks to
the Interstate System, you can go coast to coast, or border to border and never
leave home. For these three familiar men will be there wherever you go, or
don’t go. Wally refers to Walmart, once a five and dime store in Arkansas, that
grew way beyond Sam Walton’s wildest dreams. Perhaps the largest distributor
via retail sales of Chinese goods, remember that next time you see a train with
containers on it, they are coming from China via a port. And for a cheaper
product, the store that once bragged about only selling American made goods, now
is a pipeline from overseas. The only thing they exported was local jobs. But
at almost every town along the Interstate, you can find a Walmart, and even in
remote America, Wally can be found. A ready source for us when travelling to
replace things we used up, or neglected to pack. Knowing Wally would be
there...and he is.
At one time the McDonald brothers had a good thing, and thought they had a
better thing selling to Ray Kroc. Mickey D’s now line the Interstates also, and
can even be found in Walmarts. What can be more American than that? Mickey and
Wally at the same location, yet our experience shows us that when Mickey and a
local chain go head to head, the local chain is always busier. Maybe why you
seldom see Mickey by an In-and-Out, and while they still try to reinvent
themselves, you still can be safe and secure your Big Mac will taste the same in
Portland as it does in Miami as it does in Dallas. Kids will look for the prize
in Happy Meals, and by law they have to sell them to any age, not just kids.
Two men who grew up in small towns, but now dominate the highways we
travel.
They never refer to them as Davidsons, although the Harley end of Harley
Davidson has been gone for generations. On one Torches ride two guys set out to
stop at every Harley Davidson store along the route, and ended up spending a
fortune in t shirts, they are everywhere. And always found per their marketing
plan along major exits along the freeway where they can be seen and found
easily. Davey is everywhere, and I wonder if they were made in China if Walmart
would sell them? But their new brand identified stores are everywhere,
including across the street from the Polaris plant that makes Indians and
Victorys in Spirit Lake, Iowa. One of the few non-interstate sighted dealers we
saw along the way. Davey is everywhere, and new franchisees are still gobbling
them up. I found it interesting how they all look the same now, and most have
new owners or change hands regularly, while many a Triumph, Honda, or Yamaha
store has been in the family for generations. Not by any freeway, and safe and
secure from the influence of Wally, Mickey, or Davey. From generation to
generation things will change, my history is different than my sons, I wonder
where they will travel, and where they will stop along the way? Maybe the more
things change they do stay the same, and Wally, Mickey, and Davey are doing
their best to see they don’t anymore, we’ll see what Target, In-and-Out, and
Indian have to say about that. Me, I still like walking the old hardware stores
where if it cannot be found you don’t need it or it isn’t made, eating at locals
rather than the chains, Steak and Shake an exception, and visiting the old bike
shops, where I’m greeted by the smell of grease and oil, rather than the
sanitary conditions of $40 t shirts. All within reach, but not on any freeway,
back roads and small towns. That’s America. Road names instead of exit
numbers, and may all your meals be happy ones.
There is a pioneering spirit when we travel, and it takes a certain amount
of trust going into some small towns. Whereas the major roads have been
homogenized, they are all the same, a certain amount of faith and trust must be
exhibited in other places. But we go in faith, many not based on God, but
knowing by experience what to l look for and what to avoid. And we haven’t had
a bad meal yet, some unexpected ones, but never a bad one. If only we would
trust God the same way in our lives. To go out where he said, to meet those
when met, with no agenda, and to see lives changed. Yet we see men like Moses,
Gideon, and Isaiah, along with Jonah who shied away from what God had planned
for them. But ultimately followed and saw God in the midst of the situations.
Jeremiah was told by God to not be afraid, don’t make excuses for age or
experience, just trust me, for I will provide. Sometimes we are honest in our
denial, we are afraid, or we just don’t want to go, but where God leads, he
provides. When he says “thy will be done,” he means his, and will take care of
you. He promised a young Jeremiah that he would “be his voice, his courage and
his wisdom. That no matter what demand is made on you, I will provide.” How
many of us start our day with that assurance, yet go our own way from God? Yet
Jeremiah found nothing but defeat for over 40 years, that’s a long bad stretch
of road, and never knowing when it would end. Do we recognize that the new
covenant we made with Jesus isn’t the same? That he will never leave us or
forsake us? That our lives are not our own, that when we obey we find it better
than sacrifice? That when we step out in faith, when guided by his spirit, we
get out of a religious freeway of exits and find life at the cross? Jeremiah
told of impending doom, we have the gospel, good news about Jesus and heaven.
Somehow we got saved, definitely nothing we could do on our own, and if it
wasn’t a gift, could never afford to pay for it. And yet we see the mighty men
of the Bible, those in the Hall of Faith were all failures until they trusted
God, until they were moved by the spirit to do things that were and are
impossible without him. When Paul bragged “I can do all things with Christ’s
strength,” he meant all. All that the spirit showed him he could do, and
without the spirit would fail. And have the wisdom to know the difference.
Wally, Mickey, and Davey all have set prices. No discounts, no dickering.
The price is marked for you to see, to buy or pass. Jesus made his price plain
also, free. A gift. For you to accept or reject, for true love demands a
choice. You cannot legislate love or morals, yet some churches try and do. And
when religion sets in, we need a savior from that also, and Jesus is there. The
spirit makes us able to do the things God asks, and gets us off the freeway of
life and into a life abundant. An exciting life, where the unexpected becomes
the expected, and in each case we grow closer to God. We see the spirit in
action, and see Jesus as we never have before. We see him on the road in
action, not in some class learning about him. The more things change, Jesus
never does, it is us who needs to make the change. Now do you want to super
size your religion, or are you happy with what you have? Do you ever wonder,
ever wander away from religion and see what God has to offer? Some are
outstanding in their walk with Christ, while some are just out there standing.
Or sitting. If the seat of your pants wears faster than the soles of your
shoes, maybe you need to exit religion now and trust God. He will never ask of
you what he cannot supply you to do. Try that one on your next fund
raiser...
Wally, Mickey, and Davey, three men who never set out to change the world
but somehow did. It’s true we never refer to Harleys as Davidsons, we reserve
that right for Jesus, for he is David’s son. Says so in the Bible. I rest my
case....
love with compassion,
Mikematthew25biker.blogspot.com