The first motorcycle clock I ever had, a clock on the motorcycle, was on my
R90S. A big deal, where the basic tach and speedo were standard, and even a
tach was additional on some rides. But there it was, stuck into the fairing
with a volt meter, telling you the time, even when you didn’t care to know. Now
a voltmeter was practical on a motorcycle that ate batteries, and the curse from
the Valkyries to us was in the form of Varta batteries, the English translation
meaning “doomed to fail.” Just when I needed it most. But even when the bike
failed to start via the electric leg starter, that clock would still tick,
making the situation more annoying, as now you cold see how late you were to
where you had to be. And how long you were stranded for. But really the clock
was ignored, we were supposed to be keeping our eyes on the road, and in reality
hardly a glance was ever made in reference to it. Until one day it died, going
the way of all automobile clocks, and now you couldn’t see how late you would be
when the cry of the silent Varta screamed at you. And suddenly, because it
didn’t work, it became a focal point when you rode. I am sure there is some
psychological term for looking at a clock when it doesn’t work, but looking away
when it does, to me the non-psycho babble term is annoying. We all understand
that word. Some better than others...
But even a broken clock is correct twice a day, or it used to be. Now in
the age of digital, the numbers just fade away leaving a blank face where the
time used to be. These little sealed units that never die, still do, leaving a
black space where the numbers used to reside. And instantly calling our
attention to it. Sometimes it is the light on it going out, which suddenly
attracts my eye, to see what time it is, when I really don’t care, but still
focus on it because of its strange allure. At least an old clock with hands
could tell me if it was quarter to six, now I cannot even tell if it is 5:45, or
5:46. More precise, but still broken, and still attracting my attention. Now I
have ridden a thousand miles with a tach broken, or the speedometer broken with
no big deal, but let that little useless time piece fail, and it gets all my
attention. Why?
Maybe it has to do with our focus, where our heart is leading our eyes. We
get preoccupied with our plans, with our desires, and when even a simple thing
fails, we don’t like the change, we don’t want even the slightest detour in our
plans. Solomon informs us in Ecclesiastes that God has made time, and has give
us all events, both good and bad. And Romans tells us they all work together
for our good. If we can see that God has given us the unexpected to see that he
is in control, we have a new vision of life, not just what we want to see, but
what he knows we need to see. And when we see he is in control, we can avoid
panic, or at least panicking so quickly. Time is a constant, but so is his
love, are we so consumed with time we miss Jesus? But yet time is important,
but more so when seen with him.
Jesus knew when it was his time, he never hurried and was never late. Even
unto death on the cross, it was God’s timing, and Jesus proved and honored it.
A lesson I first learned when a new Christian, and helped me trust God. Every
morning I was to be at work at 830am, but we took time to read and pray first.
Sometimes even leaving the house at 830am, but was never late. A timely event
that no clock could record or explain, we gave the time to God and he honored
it. If only the clock on my R90S knew the same lesson, I honored the bike, but
it sometimes didn’t honor me. And then it was time to sell it, a time revealed
to me by his spirit, not by any clock. For there are times that go beyond time,
and walking in his spirit is one of them. Yet we are deluded into thinking we
have control over time, even if the hands never move. Or the time blinks
annoyingly 12:00 for hours or days. The clock may stop, but time goes on.
There are two days we have no control over, the day we were born and the
day we die. Both have been appointed by God long before we were born. His
planning is that advanced, and that precise. But he has given us those in
between times of life, to make the choice of how we want to live, and if we want
to live for him. He makes it a choice, choice being the only true choice we
really have, and still loves us no matter our decision, but when we choose Jesus
we have chosen life, and heaven afterward. Where all time is eternal, and
eternal right now. Like a broken clock where the time is frozen, it won’t
matter, because time will not matter. But for now it does, or God would not
have given it to us. So does anybody really care about time?
Today is the day of salvation, tomorrow is promised to no man. Today was
tomorrow yesterday. But life in Jesus is eternal. No blinking message, no black
screen filling a hole in the dash. And you can enter into the heavenly right
now, right now. Does it really matter that we have daylight savings time, when
he has all time and daylight under his control? Or that in Indiana they
celebrate it by counties rather than statewide? The sun rises and sets when it
wants, ordered by God no matter what hour we call it. Can we honor him the same
way?
From hourglass, to sun dial, to hands on a face, and finally, a blinking
LED, today is time to come to Christ. To look to his face and into the face of
time he has planned for us. To see the future as right now forever. Today it
is time for Jesus, so make some time for him. Now. By the way, the replacement
cost of the clock on my 2006 Tiger was $350, just because the light went out.
Why so much for such a small and seldomly used item? It has no PM or AM, if
it’s light it must be day, dark means night. No matter the hour. So I just
ride, keeping my eyes straight ahead, for that is where I am heading. No matter
the time or speed or rpm. God promises you the time of your life, when you give
him your life. Simpler than trying to start my old BMW, for unlike a Varta, he
never fails, never needs to be recharged. He keeps perfect time, and he took a
licking, and kept on loving. So do we really need a clock on a motorcycle?
No...going too fast an officer of the law will remind you, too slow, the driver
behind you will remind you too. So much for time, now about speed....only sixty
miles in one hour is the same as sixty miles per hour. Think on that one for
awhile...
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com