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"Restored Beauty: God's Heart Revealed in the T-Bird Journey"  

Andy Hollifield

 

"… For the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." —1 Samuel 16:7 KJV

Sam Sneed was headed back to his hometown of Springdale. His family moved away when he was a kid, and he’d never returned. Now retired from the military, one of his childhood neighbors, Mrs. Nolan, sent word that she would like him to visit her in the retirement home where she now lived. Her husband, Bernie, had passed away years before Sam retired.


“Sam,” Mrs. Nolan said abruptly when he first walked in. “I need a favor.”

“Yes, Ma'am, I’ll do anything I can to help you. What do you need?”

“I’m an old woman now, and my last wish is to see mine and Bernie’s little farm again. Could you oblige me that one request?”

“Sure. I’d be honored to. When would you like to go?”


“I’m ready now, and I’ve already gotten approval from the staff,” she said with a mischievous grin.

"Now is as good a time as any,” Sam replied. “I’ll go get the car.”

“Yes, you will,” she told him. He attributed her unusual remark to her age and thought nothing more of it.

When they arrived at the old farm, Mrs. Nolan told Sam to park in front of the barn. Slowly getting out of the car, she looked at him and said, “Follow me.”


The Big Reveal at the Barn
The Big Reveal at the Barn
The spry little old lady moved with a purpose and drive she probably hadn’t had in years. The rollers creaked like the train wheels screeching when Sam pushed the barn door open for the first time in years. The barn didn’t need much light. Between the windows Mr. Nolan put in when he built it and the sheets of the tin roof that had long since blown away, there was plenty of light.

“Sam, I want you to have everything in this barn if you clean it for me. Sell it, keep it, or whatever. It’s yours to do what you want with. There’s no telling what antiques and old tools you’ll find.”

“Mrs. Nolan, I don’t know what to say but thank you. Of course, I’ll do it for you,” Sam replied, completely surprised by her request.

“One more thing. Pull that big tarp back. Do it kind of easy,” she said.


Sam slowly pulled it back and stopped suddenly. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Is that Mr. Bernie’s old T-Bird? I haven’t seen that since I was a kid. I remember him raising the hood and talking about the 312 Overhead Valve V-8 power plant sitting there like a pearl in an oyster. I didn’t know anything he was talking about, but I knew he was proud of it,” Sam said. “What am I supposed to do with it?” he asked as he pulled the tarp back and gently wiped some dust from the hood. “It’s fire engine red,” just like I remembered. She sure is a beauty.”

Old 57 T-Bird Needing Restoration
Old 57 T-Bird Needing Restoration

“Do what you want with it, but I hope you’ll restore it and drive it. Bernie would’ve wanted you to have it. He remembered how much you liked it.”

“But, I can’t accept that. It’s too much,” Sam protested to no avail.

“Yes, you can. You said you’d help me. No one else could appreciate and love that car like you. Besides, you’re a man of your word, and you said you’d clean out everything in the barn,” Mrs. Nolan replied, flashing her mischievous grin once more.


As with anything that old, it would require a lot of love and care. Sam realized it would mean a lot of weeknights burning the midnight oil and a lot of weekend plans would be changed. In the end, he knew it would be worth every minute of his time. Since sixth grade, he had loved the ’57 T-birds, especially the ragtops, as they were called decades ago. Posters of them had adorned his bedroom walls as a boy and now plastered the walls of his garage.

Restored 57 T-Bird
Restored 57 T-Bird

That’s how Christ is with us. He doesn’t see us as man does, as described in 1 Samuel 16:7 KJV. He looks past our outward appearance and at our hearts. He sees us for who we can become through His workmanship, not who we are in our broken and dismantled states. While others would look at Mr. Nolan’s old T-Bird as a “dirty bird,” Sam acted as God would and saw its full potential. Therefore, that dirty bird was restored to its rightful condition with time, money, and dedication.

 

Similarly, God takes us, even when we’re long forgotten by most, covered with the dust of sin, and pulls away all the layers individually. He gently wipes away the dust, revealing what we could be. He sees the beauty in us that no one else does. He went to Calvary’s cross and gave His life so we could be forgiven, restored, and again become useful and shine. Whatever amount of time, cost, and effort it takes to restore us to fellowship with His Father, He considered it worth every minute, not because of what we were, but what we could be with enough of His love and care.

 

You may think you’re so covered with sin and forgotten that you’re not worth restoring. Remember, God doesn’t look at the outward appearance but at the heart. He breathed the breath of life into you, and you became a living soul. He has invested his time into you, breathed life into you, and gave his Son to die for your sins. He thinks you’re worth restoring, just like that dirty bird.

 


 


Prayer: Lord, I pray that someone will read this and realize you see them as worthy, not as they see themselves. As Sam saw the beauty and value of that old, forgotten, dirty T-bird, let them realize that’s how you see them: completely worth saving and restoring.

 

Your turn: To restore is the act or process of returning something to its earlier good, position, or owner (Cambridge English Dictionary, 2024). We’re the gem of God’s creation. We’re the only creatures God created in His image.

 

1. What specific aspects of your life do you feel God is urging you to return to a state of wholeness or improvement? 

2. Are there relationships, habits, or dreams that you believe need healing or rejuvenation? 

3. In what ways do you think restoring these elements could enhance your spiritual journey and overall well-being? 

4. Have you taken the time to reflect on the signs or messages you may have received regarding these areas of restoration? 

5. What actionable steps can you take to begin the process of restoration in those areas God is calling you to focus on?

 


 

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2 Comments

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Guest
Jan 25

Andy,

I love the connection you made of how Sam restored the old car and how God restores us. Thank you for such a vivid example.

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Guest
Jan 25
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Great piece!

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