Unshackled Moments ~ March 27, 2018 ~ The Amazing Find

A woman's husband died, and she hired a man to clean out their old barn that was full of her husband’s junk. That is what she told the hired man. Clear out that old junk. He agreed and showed up a few days later to begin the work. The barn had some tools that the woman wanted to keep and sale, some wood, which the hired man could have as part of his pay, and untold numbers of unfinished woodworking projects, boxes of old garage sale treasures that were never unpacked, boxes of old woodworking magazines, piles of old spark plugs, gallon jugs of used motor oil, and various other remnants of vehicle and tractor maintenance.

As the man begin to clear out the trash and set aside the things the woman had wanted to keep and sell, he found something covered in a tarp in the back. Under the tarp he discovered the remains of a '65 Corvette Stingray. He immediately called the woman to the barn, showed her the car and asked what she wanted him to do with it. Get rid of it, she said. It's junk. It's worth a lot, he told her. No, it's junk. The man could see why she felt that way. The car was ugly. Almost all the paint was gone and rust damage was evident. There was some body damage as well. The mice had definitely been at the car, and the leather was trashed. There probably wasn't a bit of wiring or hose that hadn't been chewed through. The woman told him that the engine was no good and that the car was beat up badly before it finally quit running entirely. She had wanted it gone for years, but her husband had not been able to bring himself to dispose of his first car.

The man offered to finish the job without pay and add an addition $5,000, emptying his savings to purchase the car from the woman. She told him he was crazy, but she took his money. Several years later, after much work, the man finished restoring the car, at one point before he completed the work turning down over $50,000 for it. He wouldn't sell the car. He had found his treasure. The junk the woman that wasn't worth what he paid ended up being worth far more than she could have imagined.

The car wasn't worth anything to anyone who couldn't see beyond the damage and the wear and the rust. It wasn't worth anything to anyone who didn't have the ability and the resources to restore it. But the man never saw the junk under the tarp. He saw a neglected treasure, worth all he had and all his effort. We can easily see the truth of a story like that. Even folks like me, who have no idea how to work on cars dream of a find of this nature. Oh, to come across a forgotten classic that can be ours for a song. I would learn mechanics. Or maybe turn it into a project car with my stepson. He's an awesome mechanic. The point is that we wouldn't see junk, regardless of how bad the vehicle looked. We could imagine it fully restored and roaring down the highway.

Yet, we can't see ourselves in the same light at times. We look back over our past and see all our mistakes, all the dents and damage from our screw ups and the maliciousness of others. We see the wear of the years and the beasts that have tried to eat us up. We see our lives as worthless junk, and then we wonder, how could Jesus love me? How could He forgive me after all I've done? I don't deserve His love and forgiveness. What if I try to walk with Him and fail? Will He be as disgusted with me as I am and cast me aside to the junk pile?

No. Because Jesus never sees us as junk. No matter our condition when we turn to Him, He is like the man who only sees how amazing and beautiful and awesome the car will be after the restoration is done. He has the ability and the resources to make us all we were ever created to be, a treasure, and the more of a mess He finds us in, the more our restoration speaks to His power and glory and what He can do. Jesus delights in you. He is thrilled at the treasure He has found that others may not recognize. He paid everything to make you His, and then by the Spirit begins the transformation and restoration process when we submit to His hand and give ourselves over to His love and care. You are not junk, no matter how beat up and trashed out you may be. He can restore you. His heart leaps with joy at the thought of being able to make you a glorious example of the best of creation. That's why He came, and that is the joy which gave Him the determination and strength to endure the cross.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.