Sometimes the best new things are old things restored.

When I was in Seminary in Dallas, I went to the same church as a wealthy businessman. His student was in the youth group with which I volunteered at Grace Bible Church.

Among this businessman’s collection of restored cars was a 1969 442 Cutlass Convertible. With a  pearl white leather interior and a bright yellow paint job, it was a beautiful muscle car. Where there was not paint, there was chrome. Washed and waxed, this car drew the attention of onlookers everywhere it went.

Did I tell you that I became friends with this businessman? He let me borrow a couple of his restored cars on occasion.

My favorite place to go for a drive was the road around White Rock Lake. On a weekend evening, the road would be packed with cars, bikes, people, and dogs. Normally a frustrated driver when any road is thick with vehicles, I loved those slow crawls around the lake. 25 mph was perfect for enjoying the ride, the people, and the scenery.

Wearing my dark Vuarnet Legend sunglasses, I would lower the top and enjoy the scenery. I watched people watching the car I was driving.

One evening, I even came alongside my buddy Jon Campbell. That silly guy was out running, preparing for his next marathon. I let him sweat and gasp for air as I smugly sat in my bucket seat and enjoyed a gentle breeze in the convertible. A few wisecracks later, I drove on.

That car in its restored condition was more beautiful than the day it rolled off the assembly line. The leather was more supple. The convertible top was upgraded. The paint was of superior quality. The sound system was clearer and louder. The wheels shone like the North Star. The chrome caught every bit of available light and reflected it back.

I think of those days and smile to myself. I like to remember life as more carefree when I was young and single. But what jumps out at me was how beautiful that car was due to the care of those who rebuilt, restored, and renewed every aspect of it. They took a somewhat broken, used vehicle that would be an afterthought on the road and turned it into a machine that everyone admired. They had a vision for a car seemingly destined for the junkyard.

That businessman took great joy in paying the cost required to achieve such superior results. He was generous with me in loaning the car.

The parallels to our heavenly Father are so rich for me. When we look into our Father’s heart, we see the God of the universe who pursued us in our broken, imperfect state. He saw our own foolish choices holding Him at arm’s length like the prodigals we are.

Did He send us to the salvage yard? No! He redeemed us at great cost—the blood of Jesus. He restored us. He made us new creatures in Christ Jesus. He renews us daily. He is true to His nature as recorded by the apostle John in Revelation:

And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
Revelation 21:5

We are far better off as the redeemed of the Lord than we are wandering through this world on our own. Our hearts have been renewed. Our minds have been upgraded. Our souls have been restored. Our lives are transformed by the Spirit into the character of Christ.

The Lord is not interested in us becoming something we are not. He handcrafted us in the womb. His desire is that we become the fullest expression of how He designed us as we reflect His image, changed from the inside out. As new creatures in Christ, we are more beautiful than the day we were born.

May you be encouraged by the love of the Father, the redemption of Friend Jesus, and the transforming work of the Spirit.

Sometimes the best new things are old things restored.

Love and blessings,
Dave