A week ago, I took a day and visited my younger brother. Dave is two years younger than I and a publisher of a newspaper in Albia, Iowa. It had been a long time since we spent quality time together. I attended church with him, visited his adult Sunday School Class. After church we had a great lunch in a little country diner and told stories about our childhood. We walked out to his pasture behind his house and shot clay pigeons with his shot guns. We saddled up his horses that I had recently given him and rode these two newly broke horses for an hour or so. My butt was sore but it was a blast.
The highlight of my trip was going over to the neighbor's house whose name was Rocky to look at a restoration project. He was restoring his 1951 Chevy Business Coup. What a car! It was made of steal, not plastic, gunboat gray with chrome everywhere. Everything was original. The steering wheel was made of mother of pearl. The dash was polished steal. It was spectacular for a 60 year old car.
There was only one problem with this car. It was laying in Rocky's garage in about 50,000 pieces. And each piece was being meticulously cleaned, shined and lubricated. Seals were being replaced, rust spots were being patched and painted. It was a mess but it was beautiful, at least if you had some imagination. Rocky hoped to have it on the road by spring of 2012. He invited me to come down at that time and take a ride. I'm sure it will be a SWEET RIDE!
Today, in my devotional, I was reading in 2 Corinthians and this is what Paul said as he closes this letter. 2 Cor. 13:11-14 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Do you know that if you aim for restoration in your life, restoration in your relationships, in your marriage, in your finances, in your physical health; it may require some dismantlement. You may find yourself laying on the floor in a bazillion pieces. And it may be a while that you feel like you're ready for a cruise.
But if you aim for restoration and aim to help others in their restoration, God in his great love and wisdom will put you back together. Only the parts of your life that were once dirty, rusty and worn will be cleaned, lubricated and repaired.
Oh, you won't be perfect, just beautiful. Someone worthy of a Holy kiss.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)