What is YOUR Destination?

Our home here in Daytona Beach is just about a mile and a half from what is called the Nation's Largest Harley Davidson Dealership: Destination Daytona. This dealership is housed in a facility boasting over 109,000 square feet and surrounded by a "mall like" campus with its own hotel, restaurants and entertainment venues.

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This compound is the host to many "Biker" related events each year including: Daytona Bike Week, BiketoberFest, and sever other events that bring the traffic on US 1 near our home to a stand still.

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Drive by during one of these events and you would think that the mile or so closes to Destination Daytona was an open bar! You'll see scantly clad women and tatooed motorcyle enthusiast with leather vests parading up and down with their favorite adult beverage. This establishement has got to provide a major financial boom to the local economy. Bike Week alone boasts visitor numbering up to 300,000!

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This whole enterprise was built by one, Bruce Rossmeyer, who own several more Harley dearlerships in Florida as well as other states as well. This past week - his ownership came to an end as he was killed while traveling (by Harley Davidson) in Wyoming. Rossmeyer was just 66 years old and had built quite an impressive reputation here locally and in the motorcyle industry.

When Melanie came and told me the news of this man's death I was instantly grieved in my spirit. My concern was not the impact of his death upon the local economy. My concern was not his philanthropic deads. My concern was his soul. I immediately though of this passage of scripture:

"What shall it profit a man to gaon the whole world and then lose his own soul or what would a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matthew 8:36-37

The answer seems simple enough to most of us - - there is nothing worth the value of our souls. But what about the man who had "gained the whole world" or at least the "Harley Davidson World" in which his name would become synonymous? What trade-offs had he made in his life that would determine his eternal state?

Its ironic that his business was referred to as "Destination Datyona." You wonder if he would now trade that destination for another?

I looked at the internet at all of the things people were saying about this man. I read his obituary and how it spoke of his business accomplishments and his gifts towards children's hospitals and his reputation in the industry. I guess I was looking for something of a little greater substance than that.

Nowhere did I read, "Bruce Rossmeyer - a man who put his love for the Lord Jesus Christ first in his life." (or) "Great man of God loses life in tragic accident." (or) "Community loses powerful voice of righteousness." No - - just that he left behind a family and a business that had brought him much wealth---neither of which he was able to take with him.