My first car. My initial earnings from my first job, which felt like blood, sweat, and tears, went towards this major purchase. My car traveled across the country from the Big Apple to the Lone Star state. It transported each of our newborn children home from the hospital. Not to mention the instruments and youth from Church for choir rehearsals. Countless memories. Sixteen and a half years. Over 200,000 miles! What a blessing to have had such a reliable, great ride for so long.
Inevitably, wear and tear kicked in. I resisted as long as I could to purchase another car. But the reality hit at the beginning of this year that the repairs it needed were beyond what we wanted to invest. We figured between its age and mileage, we would just get rid of it.
However, a friend of ours asked if he could sell it. I didn’t think anyone would pay much for it, but we agreed. This gifted friend, Josy Thomas, saw something in my car that we didn’t. He began to restore it with such care and attention, that I almost didn’t recognize this rejuvenated gem. Our friend also knew that I had a difficult time parting with the car. Imagine my surprise when he said that the car was listed in the morning and sold by evening! I was even more shocked when our friend shared that the car went to someone facing challenges. He said that he wanted the new owner to have a dependable car just as we did. Our friend understood my heart and I felt overwhelmed with gratitude and peace.
This experience made me think of what my Pastor, Mike Hayes, shared yesterday: “God still resurrects things that are dead.” Maybe you’re in a situation that appears to have nothing left to give. You’ve poured, you’ve invested, you’ve labored, and you just don’t see the worth anymore. It seems best to just walk away from this lifeless issue. I encourage you to hand it over to our Heavenly Father, the greatest Restorer. His perspective encompasses more than our limited one. He is able to revive what seems dead and breathe new life into it. God knows the desires of your heart.
“You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us”
(Gungor)
~Joyce