When Interstate 78 opened in Jersey, it was like opening up a race course
for us. With no freeways like California, and very few places to go fast, when
the part of it opened by where I lived, we were drawn to it. Miles of open road
with no traffic, and at least for awhile, no police. Drag racing, top speed
runs, and seeing what she’ll do were all conducted here. The excuse being it
was a good place to blow the carbon out of the older cars, and newer ones too.
Wind out all the gears, give the car a free tune up by blowing out all the built
up carbon, and it’ll run better when done. Somehow knowing just when to pull
off and avoid detection or capture. New Jersey State Police at the time looked
and acted like storm troopers, with no mercy offered or shown. Add in the new
55 mph law, and they went crazy writing tickets for 56 or 57 mph. Only in
Jersey....
But at the bottom of a long grade, at one time a great place to test top
speed, right before I-287 going east, sat a light blue Ford van in the median.
For years it sat there, you could see it from the top, and it was a police
vehicle monitoring your speed, and then having you pulled over and ticketed up
the road. It was almost legendary as it sat there for years, it seemed everyone
I knew knew about it, but yet the temptation to speed and avoid getting caught
didn’t deter many. “Didn’t you know the van was there?” “Yeah, but I thought
maybe...” and ended up cited. One late afternoon Lance and late one afternoon
sat up on the terraced hillside watching them in action, we kept betting on the
speeder, but to no avail. It seems that even then someone was always watching,
and out to spoil a good time. Another reason to hate New Jersey as if you
didn’t have enough already.....
It seems that we all think we can ride under the radar, that it will always
be the other guy but never me. Which was true in one case, following Rex the
Colorado trooper locked in on him,but I saw him and slowed down soon enough, he
even admitted “you were speeding, I just couldn’t lock on both of you.” At
least he was being honest, I wonder if the sudden nose dive of my front end when
panic braking was a give away? After many tickets and losing my license once
and going to traffic school, I learned how fragile a driver’s license could be
if I wanted to go fast. But it seems that not only my license is fragile, but
also my body and mind, the scripture referring to us as cracked pots, no one
mentioned here by name, and our need for a savior and a spirit to guide us.
Paul writes in Corinthians, “we are hard pressed on every side, but not
crushed. Perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted but not abandoned, struck
down but not destroyed.” Ever have a day like that? But hope is offered and
given, as we carry the spirit of Jesus about in our bodies with us, to prove we
cannot do it alone, and that help is always available. A dying of our old self,
and placing trust in Jesus, so we can truly call him Lord, and let him be Lord
of our life. And it ends so that the life of Jesus may be seen via our mortal
body.
Any time I was pulled over I felt hard pressed, guilty if even not doing
anything wrong. I was perplexed, wondering what I did this time. I felt alone
with no defense, but somehow lived to ride another day, and another ticket.
Life I found is like that also, cruising along and them tragedy strikes, and I
feel all alone, being picked on, and wondering why, what is going on? Seems
Jesus knew all about the cracked pots that his spirit is contained in, and is
teaching me not to rely on myself, but on him. I am frail and mortal, feeling
more of frail part everyday, but knowing that he never leaves me nor forsakes
me. And even when Satan in a blue van persecutes, he is with me then too, my
judge and advocate. If only I would get that on a regular basis...
So even us cracked pots have a chance, and another lesson learned, how our
reaction is more important than our actions. When we learn that the all
surpassing power is from God, I now react differently, and avoid danger spots I
once fell into. Knowing the blue van is there and slowing down for it are two
different things. How you respond to temptation or a trial tells us a lot about
the Jesus we preach about. We don’t like the tests, but in each one get to see
a side of Jesus we otherwise would have missed. Making even the answer to
“would you rather drive fast and lose your license or sanely and keep it?”
Sounds simple, until that open stretch of road.....the key is not ending up on
the side of it.
So remember you are carrying the body of Jesus, his holy spirit within
you. Rely on his power and strength, along with his wisdom. Or of course you
could blame the cops, or even the company who made such a fast bike. They won’t
suffer, only you will. There are many light blue Ford vans just waiting to run
your fun, to cause you grief, to upset your day. Some hidden, some in plain
view. It is how you react to them that makes the difference, so many of my
wounds are self inflicted form being stupid. And stupid hurts, it’s supposed
to. But we always have Jesus there to console us. Until the next time, let the
beauty of Jesus be revealed in the cracked pot you are. Let his light shine
through the cracks. Letting his light guide you. Traffic court is no place to
spend your day off....and it sure beats taking the bus! Beware, the blue van
waitith for you!
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com