Jesus on a Motorcycle!

When my now strapping young man of a cousin was but a wee lad of three, I had the joy of sometimes helping my grandmother ride herd on him. On one such occasion he ended up accompanying me to the neighborhood store.

Later that evening, after we had returned, the precocious child blurted out, “I saw Jesus on a motorcycle!” A holy silence fell as the three adults in the room riveted their gaze on the little cherub. Had God revealed Himself to this innocent? Had the child witnessed an apparition of the Lord Jesus? Exactly what had he seen?

We began to pepper him with questions. Long story short, my aunt, his mother, was finally able to unravel the garbled baby talk. While I had been completely focused on the business at hand at the store, Gabe (the wee lad) had watched mesmerized as a hippie on a motorcycle parked his vehicle and entered. Long hair caused the child to connect him to pictures of Jesus he had

seen. Then he watched the man roar off on his bike of choice. Sad face—it hadn’t been a supernatural experience—just a child innocently connecting an everyday experience to what he

had learned of God.

To this day family members chuckle at the thought of “Jesus on the motorcycle.” It’s an endearing memory, and yet it pulls at our heartstrings. How absolutely wonderful to be so innocent that we see Jesus in everyday occurrences …

In our home church’s Vacation Bible School, children are encouraged to share “God sightings”. The observations range from phenomenal answers to prayers to simple everyday occurrences like a mother’s smile. Anything beautiful and good can be a God sighting.

In a time when evil is rampant, when the spirit of Antichrist is strong, how easy it would be to sink into depression and see only evil everywhere. But we are called to greater things! There is a compelling reason why God tells us in Philippians 4:8 to think on good things: we become what we dwell on (Proverbs 23:7).

Blessed as I have been with not one, but two phenomenal mother-in-laws, I once observed to one of these

most excellent family members that her unfailing smile impressed me no end. “Janine,” she

said, “early on I learned that it takes as much effort to smile as it does to frown. I choose to be happy.”

We can dwell on the things that are wrong—or we can dwell on the good. Dwelling on the good does not mean we won’t pray for needs—but by thinking on Jesus and all the characteristics

around us that remind us of Him—things of beauty, things worthy of praise, uplifting things—we not only honor our Creator and Savior but, in so doing , also become a wee bit more like Him.

Let’s look for Jesus on the motorcycle.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of

good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things “ (Philippians 4:8).

“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).