Taking Pleasure in Small Steps

This week I acquired a seat frame.  It's not much to look at, just some rusty metal and springs.  But the car didn't have a seat at all, and now it does.  Why is this important to me?  Believe it or not, this is a rare part for an early T-Bird.  There are several restoration houses that sell pre-made seat covers, foam, and other materials to make your old seat just like new, but they won't sell you a seat frame.  They assume that you already have one... after all, why wouldn't you?

Well the seat for my T-Bird was stolen nearly 4 decades ago.  Since then, it the car has had no "place" for me within in it.  While it still has attractive lines, it no longer welcomes me to take the wheel, or to imagine  experiencing the road.  Perhaps there is a message here for me... have I somehow lost a place for God within me?  Do I no longer provide an inviting place for him to sit behind the wheel of my life?  Can I not imagine the pleasure and thrill of a roadtrip with him?

My initial search for a seat frame was quite discouraging.  I was resigned to just bolting something in, with the idea of eventually replacing it.  Last week, however, almost by accident I found a listing on Craigslist for a seat on the opposite side of the country.  Knowing that I was going to a business meeting in that city, I contacted the seller.  On my trip this week, I met with him at a coffee shop.  He was a delightful man, full of enthusiasm for car restoration, and justifiably proud of his excellent upholstery work and his beautiful '57 Ford wagon!  I'm sure we will keep in touch as this project unfolds, even though we live 3000 miles apart. I now have a new friend, and UPS is shipping my seat frame to me.

I can choose to believe in coincidence, or I can choose to see this as God's blessing.  Perhaps I'm being taught that restoration, both automotive and human, is a journey of small steps, of minor triumphs, and of seeing hope in challenging circumstances.