HOG Heaven

Did you know the term “hog”, relating to motorcycles, is actually an acronym? Ok, so I’m way behind the times, I know, I know, but I always thought it was just a slang to describe bikes—sorry to the riders, but I did.  Then my husband fulfilled a life-long dream of owning one, and I learned something new.  Hog actually stands for Harley Owners Group—H.O.G. for short.  Wow, those bikers sure are smart!  And since I’m married to an owner, I guess that makes me a HOG, too.  (oh, I can have so much play on that).

Well, these two HOGs went for a ride last week.  It was my first time on a longer ride. One that took us on freeways, side roads, mountain curves, and places I had never been before. I must admit, I was a little nervous.  It’s been some time since I was a rear passenger on a motorcycle.  I learned a lot sitting on that little backseat. And I did a lot of praying!

Photo: Renae Bowman

And in my praying, primarily for us to stay upright, God and I had a little lesson that day.

I came to realize that being a passenger on a motorcycle is very close to our relationship with Him.

First and foremost, I had to place all my trust in my husband as the “driver.”  I know he is an excellent rider. He’s been riding since a kid. He’s been to countless training classes. Has ridden professionally, and can ride through just about anything.  It was up to ME to put my faith in him.  He’s proven he’s more than capable.

We soooo have to get to that point to put our trust in God, don’t we?  Some of us have to dwell in facts in order to have faith.  That’s ok—I’m with you on that one. Just as I know about my husband’s abilities, I certainly need to know about God’s makeup. I need to know I’m not following an empty shirt.  I think that is wise.  If we don’t, we end up following false idols.  And we have those facts of proof.  We have His Word.  We have the artifacts. We have His story.  We have His Son.  And if you’re still not sure, seek out the facts on your own. That is where I begin; to know the truth before I place my trust in who I follow.

Second,  I had to do everything opposite to what my body wanted to do.  Like going into curves. Instead of resisting and pulling the other way, I had to lean with my husband into the bend of the road.  Even though every thought in me was screaming not to—that we would fall over—our body weight had to move with the bike instead of against it.

Gosh isn’t that with God?  Everything in us wants to do exactly the opposite of what God asks. Even the apostle Paul wrote, “In fact, I don’t understand why I act the way I do. I don’t do what I know is right. I do the things I hate.” Romans 7:15 CEV  We naturally want to pull up and away, but God says, “No! Lean INTO me, not away from me, and there you will be safe.”  It seems counterintuitive, especially what the world tells us to do, but we have to lean, in order to be safe.

And lastly, there were times I reached out and grabbed hold of my husband’s waist. Most of the time, I kept my arms free, but there were moments when something startled me a bit or I just needed to feel secure.

My we’ve heard that a thousand times with God, haven’t we?  When times get tough.  When we’re scared.  When we need that assurance that we’re not alone—just reach out and grab hold of Jesus?  But it’s not a cliche.  We generally operate in a pretty good comfort zone, knowing we’re with Him and He with us.  But times will pop up that we need that extra hold.  That extra feeling of security. And there He is, sitting in front of us saying, “Ok, just hold on, I’ll be your rock.”

HOG may mean one thing to many, but to us let’s use it to remember something greater–Heaven’s Our Goal!

Knowing that, will keep us grounded.  Knowing that, will keep us inline with our Creator.  And knowing that, our end objective will be where we begin.