Hello everybody,
"When this all started." What do I mean by that? And what is "this all?" First, I'll say that it all started when I was born! People sometimes ask when I first believed, and I realize that I always have. He has always been there- it's just that I haven't always been there too! Now, what I mean by when this all started is this- I have been feeling God's hand upon me heavily for a few years recently. I figure that He must have thought it was time for me to start moving towards what it was that I was supposed to be moving towards!
On July 5, 2007, I became the proud new owner of a used, but new-to-me, bright red, fast, motorcycle. Did I mention it was fast? It was! It is a street bike, and I loved it. I had no fear while riding it, but much respect. Fear, while doing something critical like riding a motorcycle, can only cause problems. I remember when I was learning to drive an 18-wheeler on the busy freeways in the bay area- that fear itself is dangerous. I remember the driving instructor looking over at me and asking me, "Are you scared?" Well, the truth was that I was afraid, but I didn't just hide it, I took control of it. I knew that panicking from fear while driving that big truck would be dangerous, so I didn't allow myself to become afraid. Same with the motorcycle. I got braver and braver on that motorcycle- my confidence improved with time. There's that line, the line between confidence and stupidity- you know what I mean. Well, I went fast at times, but that kind of motorcycle is designed for that, so I felt confident. I don't believe I ever pushed the limit past what was safe. I loved riding it. I've heard that it is almost as good as flying an airplane. So why am I telling you all of this? I rode that bike for a good year, without any mishaps (well, serious ones anyways!). I learned some powerful lessons on that thing- like the power of choice. While riding, it became extremely obvious how critical and powerful were the consequences of the choices I made. How fast to go? What risks to take? What weather to ride in? Only having two wheels and being a small moving target seriously impacts the way you think. I loved firing it up and roaring off down the road. Then one day I started it up and I had a fearful feeling that had not been there before. I started to think about "what if." As I rode, I started to think about what was around the corner ahead. What if there was a car that shot around the corner and came right at me? What would I do? What if I crashed? I had never had these thoughts before. I could not enjoy the ride. I parked the bike in the garage. A few days later, I started it up, thinking maybe the fear would be gone. No, it came right back. I went for a short ride, but it was no fun. I turned around and parked it again, and while doing so I recognized Who was talking to me. I knew Who it was. I felt God telling me that I had a purpose and that riding this motorcycle was taking an unnecessary risk. I listened. However, I did try to ride it once again months later, but the same feeling was there. That bike sits in the garage to this day! Does anyone want to buy a motorcycle? Seriously. I need to sell it soon. I tried to explain to people about the whole thing- some understood, some didn't. What matters is that I understood. And that, my friends, is when the ball started picking up speed as it rolled towards The Walk.
God bless,
Craig
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