Sendoff Ride/BBQ for Howay

TSM@Round Valley

As Howay noted two posts down, he’s getting married at the end of this month and since his best man isn’t a rider, i couldn’t let him get married without a proper sendoff, biker style! Howay’s been (and continues to be) the arms and legs of TSM. Everywhere he goes he meets and makes new biker friends and that was apparent when it came to getting a list of guys to invite for the sendoff ride/bbq. Unfortunately, due to resource constraints, i forced Howay to limit the number of guests and so we agreed to invite mostly guys who were there with us when TSM first came to be. Also, with Howay’s busy wedding schedule in May, we had one shot at the BBQ with no option to reschedule in the event of inclement weather

Stewart performing pre-ride checks

With one week to go before the big event, weather stations began forecasting rain for Saturday. Even the Friday before, the forecast called for rain for the whole morning and people started questioning whether or not we were still on for the ride/bbq. Having been in this same situation many times before with my trackdays (see Trackdays – A Love/Hate Relationship) i prayed, and encouraged the guys to have faith in our God who commands even the wind and the waves (ref. Matthew 8:23-27).

Watching MotoGP waiting for riders to show up

I awoke Saturday morning glad to see the roads were dry, but with the skies as dark as they were, it appeared rain was inevitable. By 9:30 a.m., our original departure time, only half the guys had shown up, while the other half were stuck in a heavy downpour on their way up. Despite knowing God would come through, i couldn’t help but feel a little doubtful, especially with the thunder and drops of rain beginning to come down. As we pushed our bikes into the garage to avoid the increasingly heavy rain drops, God reminded me that when the disciples woke Jesus because they were fearful of the storm, he rebuked them for having little faith; which means, Jesus wants us to have faith even in the midst of the storm, not just pray and hope we avoid the storm all together. Not knowing how the rest of the day would pan out with the rain getting heavier, God gave me a sense of peace in trusting him.

Every bikers’ dream garage

Around 10:20 am the rain began to lighten to a drizzle and the few of us responsible guys who were on time heard the rumbling of motorcycle exhausts. I looked out the window to see Randy, Joe, Alex, and Alvin pull up, soaked. They join us in the family room to watch MotoGP while drying off and no more than a couple minutes later, the sun began shining in full force! God is good! We quickly gear up and head out to the garage. We have a short riders meeting and a quick prayer to thank God for answering our prayers with the rain and for our brother Howay who we were all there for. The sight and sound of 9 sport bikes pulling out was awesome and as Jen described it, “It was so exciting; i could really feel the adrenaline pumping!”

Enjoying the change in weather before heading out

Due to the late start, i had to cut the ride short so we could still make it back in time for a BBQ at a decent hour. The ride consisted of a couple backroads to Round Valley with the boat launching lot being our final destination. Although the twisties were limited, the guys got to experience my second favorite stomping ground (with the Busch Loop being my favorite); the back entrance to the Round Valley boat launching lot.

Waiting for me to figure out how to use the timer

We stopped in the parking lot for a break and took the opportunity to take some pictures. As no ride is complete without some technical issue, Randy pulled in with a broken gear linkage. He was stuck in 2nd or 3rd gear and couldn’t shift. A fellow rider, not from our group, tried his best to assist Randy in fixing the problem. He even rode home to grab tools, but unfortunately, the bolt securing the linkage bracket was a specialty Honda bolt. After a couple of group shots, we headed back to my house to start the BBQ.

Fellow rider trying to fix Randy’s bike

Randy looking depressed while everyone ignores him

I had originally planned to have a roast for Howay and give everyone a chance to share some words of encouragement for him before he got married, but with all the stuff going on i kind of lost track of time and before i knew it, it was time for everyone to leave. Although we didn’t have the roast, i think it was evident how much Howay meant to all these guys. Not only did we have a near 100% RSVP for the event, half the guys risked life and limb riding through a storm just for him while the other half woke up early, and despite forecasts of rain, rode down just to hang out with him. I think the cliche, “actions speak louder than words” applies here.

Mini bike show after lunch

So Howay, i hope you were as blessed as i was this past weekend. You clearly mean a lot to all of these guys and i know it’s largely due to the investment you’ve made in each of their lives. I hope God will continue to use you and your future wife to draw people to Him both inside and outside of TSM.

The man of the hour!

To the rest of my brothers, i’ve only hung out with you guys a handful of times and yet it feels like i’ve known y’all forever. It’s weird, but i thank God for you, and i hope we’ll have many years of riding ahead of us, and even more opportunities to talk about the one most important thing in life, God.

A special thanks to Jen and Julie for preparing lunch for 11 hungry brutes who show no reserve when there’s a table full of good eats in front of them. You guys played a crucial part in the success of our BBQ and i know besides myself, all the guys greatly appreciated all the work you put into the BBQ. Thank you!!

And finally, God, you’ve once again shown your sovereignty in all creation. Thank you for revealing to me what it means to have faith in the power of your name as you defend it before us all. May that be an encouragement for all who claim to follow you, to be bold for your name’s sake.