Happy to be Steam Punk

Linda and I enjoyed celebrating her birthday and Father’s day by spending two days in McGregor IA where we took an ornithological tour on the Mississippi, poked around in some antique shops and browsed a huge flea market. In spite of the name, we did not find any fleas at the flea market but we weren’t really looking that closely. We did find a large open field littered with what most people would consider to be “junk”. Seriously, what does one want with rusty saw blades, broken animal traps, spools of rusty barbed wire, dirty old bottles and boxes of bottle caps, buttons, old nuts and bolts and other assorted stuff. We did find some vintage costume jewelry that we will resell on e-Bay, a tea set for having tea parties with our granddaughter, and some other miscellaneous items. I came across a booth selling “Steam Punk” jewelry. Pieces of jewelry constructed from an eclectic assortment of bits and pieces of this and that with an “industrial” flavor; some of it quite beautiful and all of it available for a hefty price! Talking to the vendor revealed that there is a whole spectrum of “Steam Punk” items ranging from jewelry, lawn ornaments, furniture, clothing and art. All of the aforementioned “junk” could conceivably be regarded as appropriate materials for “Steam Punk” items.

As I walked away, looking for the next booth with vintage costume jewelry, I thought about how my life might be regarded as a piece of “Steam Punk” art crafted by our wonderful God! I think of the broken pieces of my life and things which were most decidedly unattractive and unappealing. But when He saved me, He discarded some parts but He kept other parts and repurposed them, fashioning them into something entirely new with value and usefulness. Not only that, but my entire life is a long record of God taking all the events in my life, both good and bad, and working them together into something “good” (Romans 8.28); something that ultimately brings blessing to me and others … and glory to Him!

But even beyond that, I thought of local churches made up of an eclectic variety of people and shaped into distinctive evidences of His handiwork in skillfully crafting vessels for His use in blessing others and bringing glory to Himself. We are all part of His “Steam Punk” collection with a value as great as the life of His Son, our Savior!

If you are reading this and have a life strewn with wreckage and brokenness. May I encourage you simply come to Christ and place your trust in Him as your Savior (John 3.16). In the words of the old song:

Pick up the broken pieces and bring them to the Lord
Pick up the broken pieces, trust in His Holy Word
He will put you back together and make your life complete
Just place the broken pieces at the Savior’s feet.

It doesn’t matter how many years you have wasted and how many of them were destroyed by sin and rebellion. The principle of Joel 2.25 is one which holds true. He is able to “…restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten …”

I’m glad to be a piece of “Steam Punk”. How about you?