The Enemy On A Motorcycle

            

        

My first recollection of the Holy Spirit was when I was about six years old. There was a large, brick marque in front of the church my father pastored. The parsonage was behind the church. Between our one neighbor and the church building was a dirt path that once was used by cars to pass between the two properties. The older gentleman that lived next door had installed two large wood posts on either side of that dirt drive with a large heavy chain hanging to block all traffic. I liked to go through there to get to the marquee out front. I remember it being a favorite place to climb. I was a bit of a tomboy. There was a thick pipe that came out of the ground, bent horizontal for about a foot, and then went right back into the ground making the perfect step up onto the very top of the church sign. I had played there many times before, but one particular day I heard the sound of a motorcycle coming down the road. I wasn’t really afraid of motorcycles, but for some reason this one caught my attention. I could see him from a distance heading my way. The man driving the motorcycle was dressed in all black with a full helmet covering his head completely. I remember not being able to take my eyes off of him even though he was still farther away. I just felt in my spirit like something was not right. I’m not sure I had ever felt that before or what it even meant. Then, still as he came down the road, in my mind I could see the motorcycle coming into the stone parking lot in front of the church and then heading straight towards me. The vision stopped there. My heart started to race as I tried to convince myself that he was not going to do that. Closer and closer he came until he was near the entrance of the church parking lot. I watched him intently, scared, but mostly sure that he would just drive right by. I would laugh at myself after he was gone and keep playing. My heart felt as if it had stopped as my vision, from just moments before, unfolded in precise detail before my eyes. I froze not sure what to do or what he wanted. He came up around the marquee and circled it in the grass several times. He revived his engine over and over. I was standing up straight at this point watching him and timing him as he passed. It's a bit silly, but all those hours playing "Frogger" on my Atari helped me calculate exactly when to jump back onto the ground and run. Once he passed by the pipe and his back was to me, I jumped down immediately and ran as fast as I could towards that chained alley. I could hear the motorcycle making the final lap around the sign. I was too frightened to look back and feared that he would try to go around to the other side of the church to catch me. Down the dirt path I ran frantically, then across the lawn between the church and parsonage before my entire body slammed into the front door of our house. I did not hear him coming, but I was shaking as I opened the front door and disappeared under my bed. Once my heart started to slow and my body caught up to me from all the running, I climbed up into my bed and fell asleep from exhaustion. I told my mother about it after I awoke, but she dismissed it, I guess as a tale tale or exaggeration. Who would believe a motorcycle would come up onto a church property, into the grass, and circle around a young girl playing? Was he just trying to scare me? Or worse? I started to question if it had really happened. It was so real to me. My legs felt like noodles all evening and I never went back out to play on the sign again. I didn’t understand how I could have seen him coming before it actually happened. I never had a chance to tell my mother that part. If she didn’t believe me about the motorcycle, she wasn’t going to believe me about that vision. The Holy Spirit had spoken to me that day. I didn't understand it then, but I do now. I was saved from something terrible happening to me, most likely from being kidnapped. Sadly, I’ve ignored warnings from the Holy Spirit over the years, like flat tires and marriages. I’m embarrassed to admit, I have more experience ignoring the Holy Spirit than I do actually listening. But just last week I suddenly remembered that I had not had an oil change in a long time. I felt like it was the Holy Spirit speaking to me and I wanted to listen this time. I checked the dipstick and sure enough, not even a drop. I poured one quart in just to hold it over and prayed that God would keep my car running until I could get an oil change. I knew that wasn't really enough, but it was all I had. When I took it in a few days later, all three men behind the counter were shocked that my car was still running without a drop of oil. I praised Jesus for saving me a lot of money because I could not afford a new car or engine right now. It may have taken over forty years, but it felt pretty good to finally get it right. I pay better attention these days. So many people talk about the Holy Spirit all the time without recognizing Him for who He truly is. They say, "A little voice told me." Well, it was a voice all right, but not little and not your own. That is the Holy Spirit talking and you would be wise to listen. Ignoring the Holy Spirit is like eating soup with a fork. It’s going to be a lot harder than it needs to be. Take my advice and grab a spoon full of the Holy Spirit and invite him into every part of your life. He is our comforter and hope for the future. You can read Acts 16:1-10 to see how the Holy Spirit guided Paul away from certain cities to where he needed to go. The Holy Spirit continues to do the same for each and every one of us. We just have to be willing to listen.

Joel 2: 28-29 "And afterwards, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days."

John 16:13

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.”

Romans 15:13

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Updated 12/5/23