Ok, so I like a lot of things...garage sales, random people... but there's one thing I especially like... old cars.  And I like them for so many reasons... their beauty/elegance, the ride...they're like driving ships, the uniqueness about an old car...not everyone has one... their history... I think of the man or woman who bought it brand new off the lot... the family that road in it to and from school and church... awesome... old cars.

 The other day I ran across this old bird out in some trees...a 1958 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight 4 door sedan. A beauty in its time... enough engine (the engine was called the "Rocket")  to easily pass on the highway and enough room to comfortably fit your family and your buddy's.  Safest thing on the road, it's like driving a tank.  The big dash lit up and enough chrome on the outside for 10 cars...You even fill up the boat by lifting up a piece of chrome in the rear tail light...Olds' slogan for this car was ""a new way of going places in the Rocket age."  I get gitty just thinking about it!

I then begin to wonder... what happened to this one... and the countless others that now exist as pop cans... How did it ever get to this point... how can this possibly be... did they not know about the Rocket engine?  did they not see all of the chrome?  Was is the 59 model that clouded their thinking? How could a car once so beautiful now be full of bullet holes, have the windows broken out, the floors rusted through, and the car in complete a disaster... was it all at once, did some major go wrong... a transmission, the engine... or was it little by little... a bad belt, a hole in the front seat, the rear view mirror broke...

((Help me to understand this Lord. (Grace covers all except the original owner of this car... I know I know... him/her too Lord. You are truly a graceful God.) Ok that note's just for me; sorry about that.)) 

 I saw a man just recently that I hadn't seen in years... I was unable to recognize him because of how poorly he looked... it wasn't cancer or a bad heart... it seemed to be a result of the choices he had made.  A vulgar mouth, long unkept hair, seemed intoxicated but I don't believe he was... I felt bad for his son who seemed embarrased by how his dad was acting... nothing like the person I had once seen... my heart broke within me... utterly broke for the dad and for his grown son... I get emotional just thinkin about it.

How did this happen... was it little by little or something big?  Did his wife leave him? Did he have something tragic happen? Or was it little by little? What went wrong?  This man was a sharp looking fella?  He had/has a great family?  How can this be?   The man who sat before me was a complete disaster... a shell of what once existed... a shell of the person I had once seen.

 Help me to understand Lord... is he too far gone to be restored, given another life, renewed?  I often wonder if God looks at my heart... your heart... the same way I looked at that old 88... that man.  Knowing what he had created, knowing what we once looked like (a beautiful pure baby)... and now a complete disaster...  Is it too late for me Lord... Is it too late for everyone else?

 I then come across the words of 2 Corinthians 5:17

"If anyone is in Christ he (she) is a new creation; old things pass away and behold new things come."  

Words that almost seem too good to be true... anyone? new...new creation? Old things pass? New things come?  Lord, you mean you can make this man new... you can...  Lord you mean you can make others new... ones that are in complete disaster... too far gone.  them too?  Lord you mean that you can make me... Adam... me... new? A new creation... my heart new? with all the holes? with all the aging?  with everything? You think you'd be able to make me... new. 

I rejoice before you Father, I dance before you Lord, I fall on my knees before you... thankful... Lord you've made me new... I wasn't too far gone for you...  the holes are no longer... they've passed away... the disaster within is gone... it's been made new... in you... in Christ... the old is gone and I am in awe before you... because of the new that has come.  Thank you Lord... Thank you Lord... Thank you Lord. Amen.
 

(here's a car ad for the brand new 1958 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight)