Gettin' a Rebuild

As seen in the HEARTbeat and the Village Voice

“Gettin’ a Rebuild”

            I learned a lot of skills growing up from my father.  We were an active-duty military family, moving every one or two years.  Me and my siblings never went without our needs being met, but our wants were another thing.  If we needed something done around the house, never did I see a repairman coming to the home to fix whatever needed fixing.  Dad always did it himself, and I reveled in helping him.  Later in life I learned that our family didn’t have the money it needed to call a repairman, as like many of you, our family was a below-the-middle-class income household.  Nevertheless, we ate well, always had clean clothes, and never was I allowed to lay around the house when things needed done.  I was always learning from my father.

            I always helped dad work on the family car.  When I was seventeen the “test my knowledge” test happened.  My 1972 Pontiac Ventura II needed a new engine.  My dad handed me a manual and a socket set and said, “Go pull that engine, boy.”  I think that was probably the longest time in recorded history for an engine to be pulled from a car.  I meticulously read the manual and step by step removed piece after piece of the engine until the block was ready to be removed.  My father then stepped in and helped with that.  At the end of the project, I had a brand-new rebuilt engine in my car.  I was so proud of myself for accomplishing the overhaul on my own car!

            Sometimes things don’t work out as well in our lives.  It’s hard to “pull out” bad things, such as debt, health, or even relationships and replace them with rebuilt ones.  To get where we want to be with them, we have to meticulously identify the problem.  We work to slowly correct the issues and restore it whether it’s credit, health, or even relationships (which can be the hardest).

            As God traversed the Garden of Eden, He knew Adam had done what He had asked him not to do.  He said, “You can eat from any tree in the garden, but do not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  If you do, you will surely die.”  But Adam did.  Both Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened and they saw their nakedness.  So, they hid from God, not because of their nakedness, but because they did the one thing God told them not to do.

            “Where are you, Adam?” God asked.  I wonder, did God really not know where Adam and Eve were hiding?  He most certainly did.  The question was not about physical location, but one of spiritual location.  God was wanting to know, “Where are you spiritually, Adam?”  There was now something between God and Adam and Eve that wasn’t there before - sin.

            God is asking the same question of us.  “, where are you?”  God has always sought people through His infinite love.  Yes, we have all sinned, but God is ready to rebuild a relationship between you and Him, but this rebuild will happen in the twinkle of an eye.

            Want to know how to rebuild that relationship?  I would say, just like my father did me, consult the Holy Manual!