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September HeartBeat

February of 1995, I attended the International Motorcycle Show in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. It was there that I noticed the banner for the Christian Motorcyclists Association. I had been seriously saved for about ten years and was looking for“ what God had for me.”

When I saw that CMA booth, I thought to myself,“ Is this legal?” Later that year, we attended the 20th Anniversary Changing of the Colors Rally. One of my favorite memories is sitting in that service, listening to Herbie give the altar call, and seeing a big biker with a spiderweb tattooed on his bald head with his hands up, shaking. God was obviously working on him. I leaned over to Debbie( with tears in my eyes) and whispered in her ear,” I want to be a part of this.”“ Me too,” she said. We caught the vision.

As soon as we got home, I called CMA to see if there was a local chapter. There was, and I went to one meeting without Debbie, then the chapter folded. How’ s that for a great start? There was some kind of disagreement with some CMA rule.

Imagine that? Those folks missed seeing God open hundreds of doors, and at least a thousand people accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, but they opened a door for me.

A few months later, I got a letter from some guy named Curtis Clements asking if you’ re still interested in CMA in Jackson. Mississippi, come to the Golden Corral on such and such day. Curtis became one of my best friends and is still one of the few men who spiritually impacted my life the most.

Debbie and I went to that meeting, and somehow, I came out as the chapter president. Hey, I had been to one meeting and one National event, and I was ready. NOT!

I think that total lack of experience proved to be the best thing that could have happened. Five people, all brand new, had our first meeting, and since none of us knew what to do, we elected Jesus as President and made personal commitments to“ do this thing even if it was just us five.” Today, thirty years later, four of us are still active in CMA. We’ re much older and not nearly as active, but we’ re all still

involved. Between then and now, I served as the chapter president for five years, State Coordinator for five years, National Evangelist- South Central Region for four years, Special Projects( problem solver) for two years, National Vice President for about seven years, and now chapter member.

I guess I started CMA as a chapter president and progressed to chapter member twenty-five years later. That’ s appropriate, since without the chapters and members, CMA wouldn’ t exist.

There’ s no way I can recount all the amazing things God allowed me to be a part of in a few hundred words. But I can tell you this: CMA is a place where God will use you. It’ s also a place where satan will probably attack you. I promise you, if you keep your eyes on Jesus, do what CMA trains you to do, go through the doors CMA opens for you, you will find yourself face to face with some lost person, and YOU( insert your name here) will be the one God has sent. I promise you that is true, and it will happen. I lived it.

Remember this: it’ s all about Jesus! CMA