Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1407686
24 | WheelsOfGrace.com | #57 By Steve Merrill Onramp Onramp to the 316 Highway I was vacationing, actually on a Honeymoon, in Hawaii when having run out of things to do in the daylight, I spotted a motorcycle rental place and thought, "I'm gonna do it!" So, I broke out my credit card, and fully equipped with their helmet, my swimsuit, flip flops and a t-shirt, I hit the road a-runnin' and headed down the highway. Okay, so I broke every safety law (but not the speed law) and had a great time for a couple of hours. I recall that it was a '97 Low Rider and AWESOME! I hadn't gone more than a few miles when it hit me; there's lots of great motorcycles out there, but there is only one Harley- Davidson. At the time my sweet ride was a "shadow" of a Harley V-Twin. Nice bike, but not a Harley. Then I saw my dream Harley, a '97 Heritage I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER MY HARLEY "AHA!" MOMENT Springer with only 357 miles on it in '99. I was in San Diego visiting a Harley shop and it was my wife's birthday. She saw it and said, "You should get it". What could I do? Turn her down on her birthday? Yes, she is definitely a keeper. I guess you could say, the veil was taken off my eyes which had been blinded by metric cruisers. Love 'em too, but they're not Harleys. Enough said about that. I also remember my "Aha!" moment regarding knowing God and receiving salvation. It was actually 57 years ago in March of 1964 when I understood for the first time that Christ died for my sins. I heard John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.". My eyes were opened, like it says in II Corinthians 3:16. "But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." That passage also tells us that it's the Holy Spirit's job to remove the things that blind us to God's love in Christ. Many can tell you about God's love in Christ, but until the Holy Spirit works in your mind and heart, you just don't get it. If you currently don't get it, just ask. He will answer. A really smart person, the chair of the Academic Senate of California Community Colleges, Renee Reyes Tuller, wrote in October of '02, "There is a saying in the biker world (I mean the Harley- Davidson world) that seems apropos to our state of affairs on the front line as community college counseling faculty. That saying is: `If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand'. What do I mean and how does it relate to riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle?" The rest of her article was 'off-topic' from our perspective, talking about the world of academia. Whatever! I've got friends who still don't get it, even after my testifying for 20 years about Harleys. And I can't take the veil away. But God's Spirit took the veil away so I could behold Jesus. How are you doing with that? Off the main highway is where we will find people with hurts, habits, and hang ups. Remember Jesus didn't come to call the healthy, but the sick. What's the difference? The healthy just think they're doing okay. They're just as sick as others, but with a veil in place, they refuse to admit it, even to themselves. So, let's go off the main highway and shine the light of God's love wherever the road takes us. Maybe we'll see a few veils taken away. It's worth the effort! Milepost 8 on the Highway