Tale of the VW Bus “Project”

I bought a 1968 VW Bus for $300 when I was in high school.

It was a project—a real fixer-upper.

The engine was in bad shape, so asked my mechanic to put in a bigger, better engine.

The mechanic’s bill: $1200.

Expensive.

I decided to tackle the bodywork and paint myself.

I sanded the entire vehicle down to the metal, inside and out.

I started using lots of Bondo (a putty for patching-up dents and holes).

And this is where I got stuck.

The bus was nowhere close to being ready for paint.

Parts were scattered everywhere and I couldn’t remember where most of them belonged.

I had no idea how to finish the project.

I didn’t have the resources.

I was out of money, expertise, and motivation.

It was time to put the bus project on hold.

Eventually, I came to the realization that I could never complete this project.

I sold my sanded-down, disassembled VW Bus…

For $300.

It’s frustrating and embarrassing to think about it.

I was overly ambitious and optimistic.

I was in over my head.

I lacked the knowledge, resources, and ability to get the job done.

I was unable to restore the bus.

My tale of the VW Bus “project” is one of failure.

Obviously, there is someone else who is better at restoration projects than me.

I’m not talking about cars now—but our fixer-upper, restoration project lives.

God is the ultimate restorer.

He lacks nothing.

He has the ability, resources, expertise, motivation…

He has what it takes to get the job done.

“Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he puts us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be.”
(Romans 3.23, 24 MSG)

I love this.

God doesn’t give up on us.

What he started in us—he is faithful to complete (Philippians 1.6).

We don’t fix ourselves. This isn’t some self-help project here.

God restores, start to finish.

That’s what he does.