Finding God in a Rusty Relic
So, I've been thinking about some things for a while concerning the similarities between following Jesus and working on cars. In this series of blogs, I'll attempt to share with you my thoughts as they've occurred to me over the past 3 years of revitalizing "Isabella". Much like trying to model our lives like Christ, working on cars and trucks is a process that takes time, effort, determination, study, perserverence, and on and on. One thing that I've noticed is that no matter how hard we work, the outcome is never really perfection.
Some of the topics we'll cover include (Not necessarily in this order):
- Life is Messy
- We all make mistakes
- Perfection is unattainable
- Failure is inevitable
- Almost anything can be repaired with enough time and effort
- It's all about heart (engines)
- Brains don't hurt, too (electrical)
- Don't forget to stay grounded (electrical)
- Brakes are essential
- Steering your life towards God
- Improving can be overwhelming
- Once the "Big Stuff" is fixed, there's more work to do (the little stuff).
- Appearance isn't everything.
- A good Chassis goes a long way (firm foundation)
- Where the rubber meets the road (action)
- Staying "cool"
- Having the right tool makes a huge difference!
- the best laid plans of mice and men (the windshield saga).
- The sweet taste of victory
- Body parts (Paul's analogy)
- Work is easier (and more fun/fulfilling) with friends
- Setbacks and pain are inevitable (the case of the hole in the glove (and hand)).
- Fuel is essential.
So let's start where all good stories should...the beginning.
I've always loved mid-50s Ford pickups. As a kid, my dad drove a '54 F100 we called "Isabella". We decided when I was in high school that we should "improve" her by adding independent front suspension a reliable engine, and better rear end. 25 years later, that truck was still in pieces in my back yard. In 2014, we decided it was time to get serious about our "job" (kind of like how we can putt around with our faith until we finally get "serious"). One night, my dad called and said he'd found a '56 F100 in my hometown that was set to go to auction. We agreed that it would be a good source of parts for Isabella's revitalization. $500 later (a steal), our project was on its way to Monett.
She arrived in quite a state: a frame with no wheels/tires, the old rear end, a '78 Volare front suspension, and all the sheet metal was stacked in the bed. I stood there, astounded at the work that lay before us. Here's what she didn't have: No engine, no transmission, no brakes, no wiring, no steering column, no interior, no bed floor, no wheels, no tires, you get the picture. It was that moment that I realized I had bitten off quite a big bite!
It reminds me of that feeling we can get when we first realize that we are sinners; that moment when we realize that there are many things in our lives that cause distance between us and the lover of our souls. We see all the greed, lust, pride, (insert your favorite sin) that lies within us and we realize that if we are to truly follow Jesus, we're going to have to address these things and try to rid our
lives of them. It's easy to get overwhelmed and so we get lost just trying to find a place to start. Truth is, it doesn't really matter where we start...as long as we start. Sure, the process will be easer if we start from such and such place and move on to the next step in the process, but any progress is movement in the right direction! Truth is, like Isabella, we're all broken. We need to find a way to
put ourselves and our lives back together. P.S. It's worth noting that we can't always do the work ourselves. Sometimes we need the help of our friends. Sometimes we can ONLY do it with God's help! Sometimes we can do NOTHING, and we have to give it all over to Jesus. The trick is knowing what we can and can't do. I guess that comes with trial and error (as well as a not-insignificant amount of pain).
Sometimes we see the work in front of us and get lost in the details, the steps, the overwhelming amount of work. It can seem like there's just no way to do this. Reminds me of the exchange in Matthew 22 between Jesus and the Pharisees who tried to trap Jesus by asking "Teacher, which is
the greatest commandment in the Law?" He replies, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it-Love your neighbor as yourself. ALL the Law and the Prophets hang on these two
commandments." When I get overwhelmed by all the work I have to do on myself, I try to remember that Love is the answer. If I am operating from a place of love, my life and actions will be in line with those of Jesus. I will not mistreat another from a position of Love. I will not disrespect,
Lust after, covet, or otherwise injure another when I operate from a position of Love. Simple, yet difficult.
I hope you can come along with me on this journey of self-discovery. Heck, maybe you'll learn something about yourself along the way. Maybe you'll even want to take on a project that seems WAY outside of your skill level as I have. Maybe you'll be inspired to just fall in love with a cool classic automobile. Maybe you'll fall in love with the creator of the universe. Who knows?
Here's a couple of pictures of Isabella right after she showed up. I wish I had some of her still on the trailer...it was truly overwhelming.
Some of the topics we'll cover include (Not necessarily in this order):
- Life is Messy
- We all make mistakes
- Perfection is unattainable
- Failure is inevitable
- Almost anything can be repaired with enough time and effort
- It's all about heart (engines)
- Brains don't hurt, too (electrical)
- Don't forget to stay grounded (electrical)
- Brakes are essential
- Steering your life towards God
- Improving can be overwhelming
- Once the "Big Stuff" is fixed, there's more work to do (the little stuff).
- Appearance isn't everything.
- A good Chassis goes a long way (firm foundation)
- Where the rubber meets the road (action)
- Staying "cool"
- Having the right tool makes a huge difference!
- the best laid plans of mice and men (the windshield saga).
- The sweet taste of victory
- Body parts (Paul's analogy)
- Work is easier (and more fun/fulfilling) with friends
- Setbacks and pain are inevitable (the case of the hole in the glove (and hand)).
- Fuel is essential.
So let's start where all good stories should...the beginning.
I've always loved mid-50s Ford pickups. As a kid, my dad drove a '54 F100 we called "Isabella". We decided when I was in high school that we should "improve" her by adding independent front suspension a reliable engine, and better rear end. 25 years later, that truck was still in pieces in my back yard. In 2014, we decided it was time to get serious about our "job" (kind of like how we can putt around with our faith until we finally get "serious"). One night, my dad called and said he'd found a '56 F100 in my hometown that was set to go to auction. We agreed that it would be a good source of parts for Isabella's revitalization. $500 later (a steal), our project was on its way to Monett.
She arrived in quite a state: a frame with no wheels/tires, the old rear end, a '78 Volare front suspension, and all the sheet metal was stacked in the bed. I stood there, astounded at the work that lay before us. Here's what she didn't have: No engine, no transmission, no brakes, no wiring, no steering column, no interior, no bed floor, no wheels, no tires, you get the picture. It was that moment that I realized I had bitten off quite a big bite!
It reminds me of that feeling we can get when we first realize that we are sinners; that moment when we realize that there are many things in our lives that cause distance between us and the lover of our souls. We see all the greed, lust, pride, (insert your favorite sin) that lies within us and we realize that if we are to truly follow Jesus, we're going to have to address these things and try to rid our
lives of them. It's easy to get overwhelmed and so we get lost just trying to find a place to start. Truth is, it doesn't really matter where we start...as long as we start. Sure, the process will be easer if we start from such and such place and move on to the next step in the process, but any progress is movement in the right direction! Truth is, like Isabella, we're all broken. We need to find a way to
put ourselves and our lives back together. P.S. It's worth noting that we can't always do the work ourselves. Sometimes we need the help of our friends. Sometimes we can ONLY do it with God's help! Sometimes we can do NOTHING, and we have to give it all over to Jesus. The trick is knowing what we can and can't do. I guess that comes with trial and error (as well as a not-insignificant amount of pain).
Sometimes we see the work in front of us and get lost in the details, the steps, the overwhelming amount of work. It can seem like there's just no way to do this. Reminds me of the exchange in Matthew 22 between Jesus and the Pharisees who tried to trap Jesus by asking "Teacher, which is
the greatest commandment in the Law?" He replies, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it-Love your neighbor as yourself. ALL the Law and the Prophets hang on these two
commandments." When I get overwhelmed by all the work I have to do on myself, I try to remember that Love is the answer. If I am operating from a place of love, my life and actions will be in line with those of Jesus. I will not mistreat another from a position of Love. I will not disrespect,
Lust after, covet, or otherwise injure another when I operate from a position of Love. Simple, yet difficult.
I hope you can come along with me on this journey of self-discovery. Heck, maybe you'll learn something about yourself along the way. Maybe you'll even want to take on a project that seems WAY outside of your skill level as I have. Maybe you'll be inspired to just fall in love with a cool classic automobile. Maybe you'll fall in love with the creator of the universe. Who knows?
Here's a couple of pictures of Isabella right after she showed up. I wish I had some of her still on the trailer...it was truly overwhelming.
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