Overhauling

For the past several weeks God has really laid the word "overhaul" on my heart. For the last couple of months of 2011 I felt like my life was on cruise control, especially in the spiritual realm. I was reading my Bible and praying and journaling but it felt more like a box to check off my to-do list rather than an opportunity for spiritual growth and intimacy with Christ. I began to pray that God would provide opportunities for more personal, quality time with Him but when He did, I was still not taking full advantage of those moments. It was then that God dropped the word "overhaul" into my heart. Let me see if I can explain.

There is a television show that is titled "Overhaulin'" and the purpose of the show is to take a vehicle (unbeknownst to the owner but with a loved ones permission)and completely restore it. The owner has no creative input, no approval of designs, no control over any part of the process. The master designer has full control and free reign to do as he pleases to the vehicle. Usually the vehicle is some kind of classic car that has spent far too many years collecting dust in a garage just waiting for someone to make it new again. Or, at times, the vehicle will be one that holds great sentimental value because it had been passed down through the family over several generations. An elite team of of mechanics, designers, sound techs, and upholsterers come together to give the vehicle a complete, inside and out, overhaul.

During the course of the overhaul many things take place. Alot of times the vehicle is stripped completely bare because there's nothing worth saving. Other times the whole body of the car is sand blasted to remove rust. Then there's welding parts back together that have cracked and need to be strengthened, followed by a good buffing to make it smooth and remove any traces of previous damage. Next comes removing any parts that will no longer be needed for the vehicle's new design. Of course the body is painted and often times a specialized artist will come in to do unique, hand-painted designs that is usually time consuming and tedious. All the while the engine has either been rebuilt or a new one is being installed, the interior becomes new and pristine with top of the line gadgets and electronics. A new sound system and custom rims usually finish off the overhaul.

When the owner is finally allowed to see his or her vehicle they are usually moved to tears and their joy is obvious in their actions and words. The vehicle that they once loved and valued so much, the one that they spent all week fretting over never seeing again, has been returned. The vehicle has become all they ever dreamed and hoped it would be plus much more. The value has doubled, if not tripled! I've never once watched the show and seen one person disappointed in the outcome or wish for the old version of their vehicle. The master designer then gives the signed drawing, the very blueprint used for the overhaul, to the owner.

You see, what God was saying to me was, "What you are in Me is valuable and you of great worth in My sight. But let Me transform you into something even more valuable. I am the Master Designer and I have a plan for your life. If you will let Me overhaul you, you won't regret it. I want to make you everything you've dreamed of and hoped for...and so much more!"

I know the process will be hard and painful. In the same way that the vehicle had to be stripped bare or sand-blasted, welded and buffed, I know that I will have to be, also. But if that's what it takes for God to overhaul me inside and out, I will endure it. I want God to sign His name upon my heart and when the process is over(however long it may take) I want to be able to look in the mirror (physically & spiritually) and see the difference. I want to live up the potential that God sees in me that I do not yet see in myself. But in the need, I will be of even greater value because I have let him have complete control, free reign to overhaul me for a greater purpose to which He is calling me.