During my short stint as Assistant Service Manager at the Ford store in
Durango, the brother of a good friend from fourth grade came in. As the younger
brother we had allowed him to play with us, and we tried to catch up over 15
years in a few minutes. Their Dad had been the manager of the Metuchen, New
Jersey Ford assembly plant, and in fourth grade we took a field trip to watch
cars being assembled, and this one built Mustangs, and being 1964, was the first
year for the new car. I can remember being excited among the noise and
confusion in these pre-OSHA days, but at the end when they drove them off the
line, is where I got excited. As new as new can get, and immediately I wanted
one, but would have to wait a few years. And as Bob told me how he had gotten a
job via his dad at a Lincoln plant, as far away from Silverton as you can get
where he was now a mining engineer, my mind drifted back, and I could see him in
his job as final inspector, firing up new Lincolns for the first time, and
driving them off to be loaded and delivered after inspection. His job was to do
final inspection prior to delivery, and his explanation of inspection gave me
understanding as to the many warranty issues we had. Cars were judged on a
point basis, and if you reached a certain total, the car was sent back to be
repaired and shipped. But not necessarily start and run. You got say 25 points
for a no start, 5 for missing trim, and 10 points for paint, and if it didn’t
hit the send back total, it was shipped. Running or not! Parts may be missing,
but if you fell below the go back total, you left with the others. We both
laughed at the foolishness of the system, and a bubble burst of the
manufacturing of the Ford family of Fine Cars, as it said in the ads.
But at that point it was figured the dealer during PDI would fix them, and
submit a warranty, hoping it would be paid, the argument being “it didn’t leave
the factory that way,” when we all knew it did. Then when a customer purchased
the car, again being checked over, and upon delivery, a salesman going over the
car with the new owner. Hoping to catch any problems before they drove off and
had to be towed back. But the point system always bothered me, rather amused
me, and that chance meeting with an old elementary school friend opened my eyes
to a lot. Final inspection not being what I thought it was, but explaining why
the cars were like they were.
Lately I have been dealing with some who have left the church because of
legalistic teaching, and some not even legal. They left feeling lost or a
loser, because upon inspection by others, they couldn’t or didn’t match up to
what was expected. And following the example by men they were shown, came to
think that God judged them the same way, and that heaven had to be earned, and
they might not have enough points to get in. Their sin had been too great to be
forgiven, and graded on a scale, and held against them in such a way they were
taught a perverted gospel, not the one of Jesus Christ. Feeling lost and
miserable, they forsook their salvation and slid back into sin, with the
blessing of the church, “see we told you he was no good...” with the sound of
their Bible being thumped in the background. A good beat but tough to dance
to. They had been told a lie, as you cannot earn salvation, it is a gift. And
unlike a car that is passed on because if fails, Jesus went back and still does
go back for the one in 99 that has gone astray. His warranty has no end date,
and his service is available 24/7, even on Sundays at some churches. But yet we
brag on the numbers, when Jesus brags on the individual. He calls us friends, I
will not repeat what we are called when we fail to meet the requirements of
religion. A good chance we will never see them in heaven anyway unless they
give up and give in to Jesus.
We all are a work in process, and progress depends on the Lord. Jesus
provided the growth via his spirit, remember Paul planted and Ananias watered,
but it will always be God who provides the growth. We are not assembly line
products, although some churches are assembly line based, and brag, God sees the
individual, and we should too. We were all at one time that one in 99 that
Jesus went back for, and we need him daily to maintain us in his spirit. I used
to tell my customers “if you think maintenance is expensive, wait until you see
the price for repairs.”
So as you drive off on your new bike, your new car, or your new life in
Jesus, be prepared to visit the warranty clerk. To fill out the papers and have
your car or life repaired properly. In California we have some tough consumer
laws, after 30 days in the shop during the warranty period, you can demand a
replacement and refund. Sadly some bikes we took back at Triumph were not
faulty, but the customer was. And in one case, the new bike he got will do the
same thing until he changes, the bike working as designed. God doesn’t change,
we need to, not for points, but to get closer to him, not that he will love you
more, but to see our heart being changed, as he is drawing you near. Something
religion cannot, and many times refuses to do. “My way or the highway,” I
choose the highway, noting Jesus spent most of his time on it, on the road.
Only God’s system works perfectly, even with less than perfect people.
Manufacturing and assembly techniques have come a long way, CNC and CDC
allowing smaller degrees of error. But God’s assembly remains the same, he got
it right the first time, it was Adam who sinned not God. It was Noah who got
the first ocean cruise, not the religious. It was David who slew the giant,
Solomon who became the wisest, and Job who suffered the most. But it took the
empty tomb of resurrection to make it all work, to open the door for us to
perfection. No grading on a scale, no multiple choice, just one question for
salvation. Who do you say Jesus is? If you say the son of God and repent, you
will hear “well done enter in,” if not time may be running out, your life will
expire and without an eternal warranty it is hell. No buy backs, hell forever.
Your drive today may be your last drive, know where you will end up. All
of us will have the last ride in the same type of car, a hearse. To the
graveyard and back for another load. No passing go, no collecting $200. I will
enter into eternity despite all my flaws, because of Jesus and his forgiveness.
Flawed here, perfect there. And I won’t need an appointment for service....as
far as I know there are no recalls for a broken heart....
love with compassion,
Mike
matthw25biker.blogspot.com