Tumble Weeds

Steve

TUMBLE WEEDS

Hello, good to see you again, I hope our last postings were enjoyable. In this posting I hope to get up to the present finishing our introductions.

In 1978 I bought a 750 Honda from my brother-in-law, a decent bike in those days and considered a big bike back then, but more importantly it introduced me to the real world of the open road and bikers. I was a lone wolf and soon my desire to go my own way would bring drastic changes in my life and those of many others.

I was still very much active in the drug culture and drinking, looking back I know it was by the grace of God that I didn't die on that bike. But I made it to graduation and traded my part time job at a truck stop for a full time job at the sawmill. However, I felt I was in a dead end situation and decided it was time to hit the road, the problem, no money. So I chose to join the Navy, many thought that was just what I needed to get me away from my current lifestyle of working all day and partying till 1 or 2 in the morning. Little did they know was that joining the Navy only made it easier to get all the drugs and booze I wanted, so I soon found myself in San Diego, CA. for boot camp. Through all this I still felt something was missing but could not quite figure it out, you know the feeling, if you will admit it you once had the same feeling or maybe you are dealing with it now.

I came home on leave after boot camp and saw a girl I had seen at a party before I left, she flagged me down at the local Sonic and we began to talk and I found out that one of her friends and her brother and sister were people I partied with regularly and we began to date. I took my bike and headed to Memphis to report for duty, this was my first real road trip on a bike and I loved being on the open road and on my own. So at Memphis my roommate got me into new drugs and even dealing some, I had not been to Church or picked up a bible since I graduated, in fact I didn't even have a bible at this time. I drove from Memphis to home every weekend to see my new girlfriend and party. Even though it was 2.5 hours one way on the open road I didn't mind because I loved being on the road. I then received orders to a fighter squadron on a aircraft carrier stationed in Japan and five days before I left I married my first wife and sold my bike. I thought I was going to save her from the life she had grown up in, I didn't realize that I couldn't even fix my own life little less hers, she had not even graduated High School. Our relationship was good while I was on sea duty and was not home much but she became pregnant and we transferred to Oceana, VA. And our relationship became very tumultuous. Then came orders back to Japan with an Attack squadron and our relationship became somewhat better but was at its best when I was gone. Then we transferred to China Lake, CA. and our relationship got worse, I came to the startling realization that I was and alcoholic. I quite drinking and thought I could go it on my own, went to AA for a while but that was a waste of time. I still had that old feeling that something was missing, I didn't realize yet, but it was my relationship with my Savior that was missing. Jesus had kept me alive through a lot horrible incidents while I had been in the Military because he never gives up on us and he certainly was not finished with me. He put a man in our lives that he used to bring me home, we bowled on a league with a Post Man who kept after us to go to church with him, finally one week I said OK, we will go one time and if we don't feel comfortable there you won't bug us anymore and he agreed. That Sunday I finally realized what was missing was a close personal relationship with Jesus, if was such an awesome day of worship and praise, I knew this was were I needed to be and would never stray from my Savior again. He cured my desire for drugs and alcohol, I would never be recovering addict again, He did what only Jesus can do. I soon realized that I could not be what Jesus wanted me to be while in the Navy and so after 13 years I got out and we moved to Oklahoma and things were ok for a while but mine and my wife's relationship continued to worsen with the birth of a second child and a move to Arkansas. In Arkansas we joined a little country Church were I taught Sunday School and gave the morning devotional which gave me more joy than I had ever known. Where was my bike during all this I didn't have one!!! My wife didn't like bikes or bikers and forbad me to own one again, of course that did not sit well with me since I loved riding and that is not something you ever forget or get over. I had begun to feel the Lord was calling on me to do something more and one Sunday it hit me like a ton of bricks, He wanted me to be a Preacher of the Word. So in 1997 I surrendered to the call of the ministry and began preaching at Churches all over Arkansas and to make a long story short in 2000 I was asked to become the pastor of Highway 5 Baptist Church in Bryant, AR. That next year my wife left me and I thought my world was going to end, I was devastated, hurt, angry and bitter but I knew Jesus was with me and after trying to reconcile and trying everything to get her to stay in 2003 the divorce was final. My life changed radically but it did not end. Jesus brought me through this too and in time healed me. In 2006 the Lord brought a Godly, wonderful woman into my life whom I married and have been working in the ministry with since.

I had been a dried up tumble weed most of my life being blown here and there by every wind of the world not accomplishing nothing and not rooted anywhere till Jesus planted me by the water of life. Not only did God provide me a perfect mate which I had prayed for but he also brought two more children in my life whom I love, and extended family who have been a great blessing, and a many brothers and sisters in Christ who have been and continue to be such a blessing to me.

But wait that's not all Jesus brought a bike back into my life and my wife loves it, loves riding and has a heart for bikers. Now I feel complete, I know I am where is should have been so many years ago. I pastor full time at Highway 5 Baptist with my wife by my side and we have founded a motorcycle ministry which takes us all over the country witnessing to our fellow bikers as we go.

Do you have that emptiness and lack of direction in your life that I have spoken of here?

Do you feel like your life is to messed up to get in a right relationship with Jesus?

Do you feel like He could never use you to do His work?

Let me assure you that He wants you right where you are, the way you are and that He can make you into what He wants you to be if you will let Him. I want to hear from you, what do you think?

 
 

Keep the wind in your face!

See you at the next stop.

Jessica Called by God

Thursday, February 04, 2010

8:02 PM

What does it mean to be called by God? Well, for me it meant to be shut up in my bedroom with drugs pumping thru my sick, weak, and out of control body. That is when God called me to follow him. I look at it now and wonder why God chose then? Why not after I got cleaned up and well? I know the answer is that I would have not been able to get clean and healed with out God and his guidance. Now some might think this was my moment of salvation, but I say no. I really believe that I was saved from eternal separation from God at 13 years old, but this was my call to service. I think I tell this testimony more than my salvation experience because I was so deep in the pit of sin and Jesus pulled me out. All I had to do was say "Yes"! What do you think it means to be called by God?