A few weeks ago, we were invited by a local club to a cookout at their clubhouse. Being the “portly” gentlemen that we all are, it was only natural that we accept the invite.

One of our usual meeting places before a ride is the local Family Dollar store parking lot on the north side of Greenwood. On this day, several brothers and I gathered there, prayed up, and mounted our bikes for the 15-mile trip to the clubhouse.

Gregg, a good brother of mine, had recently purchased a Harley Davidson Tri-Glide. Even though the bike was over ten years old, it was in pristine condition and had very low miles. There had been a couple of small glitches with the bike, but nothing serious. As we rolled onto the highway, he was happily riding in the rear of the formation, and I was in the front. I wasn’t sure, but it seemed from my rearview mirror that his headlight was a little dim. Not thinking much about it, we rode on toward the next town looking forward to food and fellowship.

The meal consisted of Bar-B-Q pulled pork, baked beans, and various other side dishes. Add an A&W Root Beer to the mix, and you definitely have my undivided attention.

We spent the evening breaking bread with friends, shooting pool, and talking motorcycles. A joyous time was had by all who attended.

As all good things must do, the night finally came to an end.

After thanking the club for the invitation and saying our goodbyes, we headed out the door to the overflowing motorcycle parking lot. The sky was clear, the temperature was perfect, and we prepped for a nice, easy ride home… That is until Gregg fired up the trike. He had no headlights and no driving lights.

We toyed with the switch and looked over the bike for any issues but did not find the culprit. While it was not quite pitch dark yet, here we were in another town with nothing but forest land between Gregg and his house, and he was without a headlight.

Gregg insisted he would be fine since there was still a little daylight left, and he assured us he could see reasonably well. We reluctantly agreed, climbed on our bikes, and rode out of town.

Once we were out of town, with no streetlights to aid our vision, it was much darker than we anticipated. Looking to the rear of the group, I suddenly realized I could no longer see Gregg in my mirror.

This was a major issue.

After motioning for everyone to slow down, I raised my shield and expressed my concern for Gregg’s safety to Ricky who was riding to my immediate right. Ricky glanced at his rear-view mirror and agreed with me.

“I’ll get him home.” Ricky replied.

Knowing that Gregg would be turning left in about a mile, Ricky moved to the left lane and signaled for Gregg to fall in behind him. Ricky would act as Gregg’s headlight and get him home safely. As they made the turn and rode away, I watched Gregg’s taillights disappear in the distance. While Ricky’s headlight was showing the way, Gregg’s taillights were much brighter than Ricky’s.

That’s when I realized they were stronger as long as they were together. One guy had working headlights, the other had better taillights.

You were not meant to go through this life alone. God has put people in place to come alongside you when the going gets tough. Along with that, there are times when people will need you for support as well. Don’t take God’s gift of friends for granted and be that friend for someone in need. I guarantee you will both be stronger for it.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NIV “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”

Proverbs 27:17 NIV “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."