I felt bad for the guy ahead of me when turned down for service in St.
Louis. I had called ahead, and they told me they would fit me in, they were
busy. From the looks of things that was no lie, but hearing the guy ahead of me
being turned away, my heart sank, I really needed an oil change, and being 1800
miles from home with 3000 more miles ahead of me, I had planned being here. But
when I stepped up and introduced myself, I was greeted with “we were expecting
you,” and they took my bike to the back immediately and started on it. Within
20 minutes they were done, it only took over an hour to get out from there.
Seems the tech wanted to talk, and soon we were the source of conversation,
riding all the way from San Diego. They checked the bike over real good, and
going upstairs to pay, an old building built against a hill, with service
filling the downstairs, I talked with the older guy behind he counter. Turns
out he was the owner, Carl, and had been around at the dealership bearing his
name for almost 50 years. Donelson’s was an old tradition among Triumph, and as
we talked, he had just returned from Australia riding a bike like my Tiger with
his wife, he mentioned he knew some men in San Diego, one named Lance who worked
at Rocket Cycles. “Lance sold me my first new Triumph,” and his face lit up, he
had sold Lance his first Norton back in the early seventies, we had a
connection. Then he asked if I had seen his museum, a collection of bikes raced
over the years, and took me to a corner of he store of limits to the public.
Which absorbed more time than I wanted, but not as much as I had, and when
leaving he gave me a t-shirt from his store. All I needed was an oil change,
what I got was a new friend, and personal attention. Just like I remember back
when Lance bought his Norton.
There is no other reason to go to Marne, Iowa than Baxter Cycle. Stopping
in this town of 400, they are not hard to find, and they checked a small leak at
an o-ring, and offered to fix it immediately,which I declined, it would make it
home just fine, which it did. Almost, for when stopping for an oil change at
PJ’s in Albuquerque, the tech saw it, replaced it under warranty, and apologized
it took so long, they were washing the bike. Again all I needed was an oil
change! But while at Baxter’s I met the crew, quite a busy shop that sells a
lot of new Triumphs, and is a mover in the old bikes too, as his museum, his
back room had over 100 British bikes for sale as old as from the 1930’s. Not a
museum because the bikes were for sale, a trip through the parts department, and
an hour later we were shipping home shirts, and made some life long friends.
And I didn’t even need an oil change!
It seems that the smaller, not the mega dealer stores still offer personal
service. Where you can walk through service, are offered a cold drink, and can
bench race. They are always busy, but find the time to take care of you. From
the Triumph store in Metuchen, New Jersey who fit me in unannounced for an oil
change, to Team Triumph in Janesville, to Sharer Cycle and Stables in Verona, no
longer in business, Lyal passed away, and the dealer in Jackson, Mississippi who
offered us a place to cool off on a high humidity day, they all offered
hospitality to a weary traveller, and his mount. Very little money if any ever
changed hands, that wasn’t the issue, it was a fellow rider who needed
assistance or a break from the heat and they were happy to meet the need. Their
balance sheet is filled with an intangible called satisfied customers, under the
sub heading of friends. An intangible that goes way beyond dollars and makes
little sense to the big stores today. It still comes down to the individuals,
of which we are all one at one time or another. Hopefully you can be greeted as
we are and return the favor to others. Be it ever so humble, there is no place
like being made to feel at home when on the road.
In Psalms and Nehemiah both authors ask God to “remember them with favor.”
Not that God will forget, but a inspection to see if I am where I need to be in
my walk with Christ. “Search me oh God,” they ask, do we ever ask the same? Do
we know Jesus so well we dare ask without fear of reprisal? Do we see the
loving and forgiving side of God, or does our sin cause us to remember the down
of side of us rejecting him? We deceive ourselves, God never does, that is all
the Psalmist is asking, show me where I need to be and help me get there.
God has placed us at this place in time to be his messengers, his hands and
feet, and to be the gospel Jesus wants us to share as we go. Yet in the floods
after Harvey, we see a mega church deny those in need assistance, at one point
telling them to have faith. His sin revealing itself, his false doctrines
rising above his words, his actions showing he has no heart for Jesus or us.
All from the view from his $10.5 million mansion. How many of you don’t go to
church because of a bad time there, but who reach out to God? Jesus took his
love to the streets and ministered there, no building could contain his love,
and we need to do the same. Would a junkie feel wanted in your church? Would
you offer him the same as you would a rich man? Where are those great men of
today for the hookers, bikers, those in jail, and those who cannot get out?
With so many spiritually bankrupt people at all financial levels, who is
reaching out to them? God has called us all out to minister to them, do we hear
his voice, do we hear his call? That is what a self examination will do, it
will show where we are weak, where we need to be, and what we need to do. And
when empowered by the spirit, God’s will in us will be done! His will, simple,
that we all come to know Jesus. Maybe all some of us need is an oil change, and
some fellowship. The mega churches deal with the 99, Jesus still goes back for
the one who is lost and suffering. Do you, would you? Am I welcome in our
church, your home? Would Jesus be welcome? Or do you neglect those who are the
least because they do not measure up to you, when it is you who do not measure
up to them, are you the ones spiritually that Jesus referred to as the poor who
will always be among us? The least who needs to be ministered to as Jesus did?
Do you see Jesus in those in need?
Ministry is simple, meeting a need. Food, clothing, a cold drink, or even
an oil change. God operates on all levels, for years I have been saying if the
church could get behind the biker brotherhood how it would impact the world.
You never know when disaster will hit, homelessness in Houston now reaches
through all financial levels, all are wiped out. No home, no job, no goods.
Nothing to go back to. Many are calling out to God, are your doors open to
help? Don’t let it take a disaster on this scale to show the love of Christ, no
matter how big or how small, Jesus loves us this I know. To bad one church
doesn’t....who will be there when they just need an oil change? And if let in,
please take off your shoes first, don’t want to get that expensive carpet all
dirty!
Maybe a good foot washing is in order, starting from the head down, I hear
there is lots of water available....
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com