CMA HeartBeat April 2022 | Page 13

By BLAIR Jarratt

Suzuki VStrom 650 odometer flipped over 100k miles during our chapter ' s spring kickoff ride in March 2021 . Thank you to my brothers , who waited while I stopped to take a picture . This is my first bike , bought new in May 2013 , just before my 50th birthday . I had ridden other small bikes as a teenager and gotten my license in my early twenties at a MSF rider course . Praise be to God for the wonderful , safe years and miles of riding .

I waited until I was 50 to own a bike out of my concern , and my wife ' s concern , for safety . The pleasures of motorcycling come with elevated risks . Our three kids are grown now , so my risk / reward calculation has changed , allowing me to accept risks now that I wouldn ' t accept as a younger man . Everyone must consider risk / reward tradeoffs for themselves .

When speaking to young people , I ' ve said many times , “ Don ' t ride a motorcycle unless you ' re prepared to die . Riding a motorcycle is a matter of life and death .” Their eyes widen . Then I say , “ Don ' t drive a car unless you ' re prepared to die . In fact , don ' t get out of bed unless you ' re prepared to die .” They get my point . Each day is an inescapable matter of life and death . We must decide how to spend it wisely with no regrets .

Jesus makes the same point when He invites people to lay down their lives for Him because it ' s the ultimate risk / reward calculation that makes sense .

Matthew 16:24-26 ( NIV ) says , “ Then Jesus said to his disciples , ‘ Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me . For whoever wants to save their life will lose it , but whoever loses their life for me will find it . What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world , yet forfeit their soul ? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul ?’“

Jesus is not referring to the cross as a sentimental piece of jewelry or wall ornament . The cross was a cruel means of execution . However , Jesus doesn ' t call us to focus on execution but on the reward of preserving our soul . When we renounce our lives and lay them down daily for Christ ' s sake , we share in Christ ' s death , which achieves our forgiveness and share in His righteousness which merits our reward . Holding on to one ' s life apart from Christ will cause the most significant loss possible .

“ For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father ' s glory with his angels , and then he will reward each person according to what they have done ” ( Matthew 16:27 , NIV ). CMA

Blair is a member of Riders in the Storm chapter # 341 in Harleysville , Pennsylvania .

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