We were on vacation this weekend in the North Carolina mountains, on our motorcycle (which we rode up there) and had just arrived yesterday at a very famous bike road called “the dragon”, which has 318 curves in 11 miles.  It’s an awesome ride, and at the beginning of it there is a motel, a gift shop, and a biker cafe where I love to eat either before or after the ride.

As we were eating, I saw a man with a group of younger men and women, and they were ALL biker outfitted.  I pointed him out to Robert, and just from his posture and facial features, we figured him to be 70, maybe 80.  So we assumed that he was a back seat rider (as I am) on one of groups other bikes.  NOT SO!  He walks out to his own motorcycle- not even a trike, but a two-wheeler – and puts on his gloves, helmet, etc.  He then gets on the bike with very little trouble, except having to lift his leg across with his hands, and he pulls out with his group to start their ride.

Shortly after that, Robert and I started and made it to the end where you can rest and then turnaround and do it again.  When we arrived, the older man was sitting there on his bike, looking around, and I went up and asked him how “young” he was.  He told me 82!  I said “Good for you!”, and he replied, “For as long as I am able!”

We went our separate ways at that point with his statement ringing in my heart for the rest of day.  It is so easy for me to talk with God in the mountains – especially on the back of a bike – and He was filling my mind with this thought.  As inspiring and uplifting as it was to hear an 82 year old say “for as long as I am able” about riding motorcycles, that pales in comparison to spiritual goals.

In other words, God was challenging me to think beyond what I had just witnessed, and I realized this…..when I am 82, or 72, or 92, or whatever age I may live to be, I want to be telling a curious world something ENTIRELY different “for as long as I am able”.  I want to be inspiring others and making them watch me, and try to guess how old I am as I do His work.  I want to be sharing the Gospel, encouraging, learning, and growing more to be like HIM.  I want to go out shining for Jesus, not flamed out.  Pushing to help others know him, not pushing a bike to new heights.  I want to leave with a record length of service for Jesus, not a record length of a pursuit of an earthly goal or hobby.

After all, in our world today we have too many people with their eyes on other things and our world is not growing better, it’s growing worse.  But if a few more of us hear and commit to the “for as long as I am able” challenge concerning Jesus and His work, this world will NEVER be the same!