A Tribute to Our Friend Luke.
I first met Luke at the Welsh Motorcycle Show in Builth Wells in the summer of 1998. We instantly hit it off and became fast, literally, friends. I don't know if it was our mutual love of motorcycles or our similarity in age, mental age that is! Or the fact that we had the same sense of humour. We had no trouble making each other laugh - often at ourselves. We connected and became great friends, as I'm sure he did with many of you.
Whatever he or I did, we would always be able to pick up where we left off. Luke was particularly good at regaling us, in great detail, with stories of everything that had happened since we last got together. It was always no effort for Luke to make time, either, it took only the hint of a curry from my wife Lindy, for him to come and share. He would arrive, always bearing gifts, Coca-Cola or something for the girls, give Lindy his trademark huge bear hug and be ready with yet another hilarious story.
Luke had the ability to recall memories from years ago, and they would be just as funny now as they were then. Recently he reminded me of one such event;
Now, picture the scene; he and I and another old friend, Ben, are tearing down the M5 on the way back from a CMA weekend away. Ben was riding a Harvey with loud open pipes, going like the clackers. Luke was riding his Bandit 600 with a race exhaust not too far behind, and I was riding a moto guzzi with, quite frankly the loudest exhaust pipes this side of a nuclear explosion. Safe to say we were not tge quietest vehicles on the road that afternoon. Unfortunately we gained the unwanted attention of the police, who decided that both Luke and Ben needed to be stopped and given some........ advice. Some matter of noisy exhausts and slightly small number plates. At which point I fly by, pull up 100 meters ahead and hastily turn my engine off. Despite a long stare as they drove past afterwards, the police paid me no attention at all, which Luke found annoying and hilarious in equal measure. He was convinced that my bike was the loudest by far, my only saving grace it seems, was the fact that my number plate was the size of a barge board.
I can tell you Luke enjoyed retelling that story for many years!
Luke was always there to help out and lend a hand, but he was a big softie too! A gentle giant, short in stature, but not short of love and kindness, and fun, often at his own expense. Lindy and I have a cherished photo of Luke relaxing on our sofa, beer in hand, exclaiming with his usual effervescent glee "Do ya like ma sexy body!" - one of his favourite pun lines.
We were once let down by baby-sitters and Luke very generously offered to stand in at the last minute. When we came home later that night we found our daughter bundled up on the couch next to Luke, happily asleep having wrapped him around her little finger to watch "just one more TV program"
She also told him he could come to her birthday party, but only if he asked his mum first, which he duly did.
I know many of you can relate to these stories I have told of Luke's great love and kindness and I'm sure many of you gave similar memories of your times with him.
Luke's great love and kindness was his shining example, his lamp, not hidden under a bowl, but set a top a hill. His love and kindness was his way of expressinghis own faith, hope and trust which he put in Jesus Christ.
Luke believed, Luke hoped, and Luke trusted that this life need not be finite, and end here, but that by faith and forgiveness, life can be eternal in heaven.
I for one look forward to that day, when I can meet him again, whether its diving through Heavens oceans or racing along the Hallelujah highway, or just sitting and chatting and hearing all the great details of what we have missed in heaven since we've been apart.
Thank you Luke, for being our friend.
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