The sound of a high compression motorcycle engine has always made my blood flow at an extremely comfortable rate. Something about sitting on a Sport Bike and laying into a turn while at excess of speed just somehow seems right with my soul. From a young age I loved bikes, I rode BMX, Free Style, Dirt Jumped, Touring, and whatever else came my way. Fear was never really an issue, for the thrill was greater than the risk. So it continued to be in my older years, I graduated to six hundred plus cc’s and with this I entered into a whole new era of thrill. No longer was it five to thirty five miles an hour, no now it was a ninety degree turn at sixty plus miles per hour, dragging the peg of the bike as it leaned over to the point of no return, or coming into a straight away and reaching one hundred and twenty plus miles per hour in literally seconds. I can almost hear the scream of the bike as I type. I loved it. I still do, however now the risk outweighs the thrill.

 

There was an evening that stands out in my memory, I was coming into a turn, I knew I was going too fast, I tried to decelerate but I was already too far into the turn, so in order to get the bike to bight, all I could do was lay back into it. I always made a practice of looking at the end of the turn, to focus on pulling my way out. This time I made it about a quarter of the way through, and there was the side of the road, the bike washed out from underneath me and away we went. I thought I would never stop sliding. When I finally stopped, I had a view of the pavement right before my eyes. I was face down, and the wind was still knocked out of me. My bike was about fifteen feet from me, unbelievably still running. I stood up and ran over to turn it off. Stood it up and started looking at all the damage on the bike, as well as myself. Of course I was more concerned about the bike. This I am sad to say would not be the last time this would occur.

 

This mentality seems to be the same for many areas in my life. I know I am entering something of danger, yet the thrill outweighs the danger and I bear down and lay in to try and make it through. It is usually something that is close to my heart. Something I desire and feed on, for happiness and satisfaction, as my story.  My walk, or my race may be at the time as my motorcycle ride, however it differs greatly in one sense. On a motorcycle if you apply the front brake in a turn, it will stand the bike upright, therefore forcing the cycle out of the turn, causing certain peril.  In my daily walk, if I am entering danger, I can make the decision to hit the brakes, by calling on Christ and if I do, this as well will stand me upright, only this time saving me from peril.

 

Temptation which always brings sin never comes in something that does not appeal to you. This we know, but what we do not always remember is that we are given eyes to see what lies ahead and it all comes down to a simple decision. Is taking this turn, at this speed going bring me happiness, as well as Christ, or is taking this turn only going to bring me happiness? For you see if it is not for the Crown, we are to have nothing to do with it. We are to take our time, the one thing we are given here on earth, and stay away from the pitfalls that are before us. Plan our course, so as not to run out of ground. This will bring Glory unto God, as well as joy unto our souls.  It does no good to race into battle, only to fail and crash. How much more beneficial to ease into it, with the Wisdom of Jesus that is within us and make it through unscathed and taste the victory that is at the crest of the turn.

 

First Corinthians Nine and Twenty Four through Twenty Seven:

 

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the price? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man beating the air. No I beat my body and make it a slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”