Bird Teeth

The grille from my t-bird was stolen 27 years ago. Many other parts were stolen, including the seat and the hard top, and a Paxton supercharger that was given to me by a dear friend. Miraculously, the hard top was recovered, but nothing else. The supercharger was worth more, both financially and sentimentally. It was the continuing sense of loss and failure that broke my spirit, and induced me to sell the t-bird in 1977, 5 years after I had so eagerly received it.

A short time later, my Dad sold the 1935 Pierce Arrow coupe that the had been unsuccessfully "restoring" for 30 years. While I can applaud his letting go, it was still a sad and frustrating event for me. I wasn't really attached to the Pierce, even though my sister and I played in its rusty cabin when we were kids. Nevertheless, I was quite disturbed to learn that Dad had sold it. This was perhaps a realization that my Dad really wasn't the person that I thought he was... that he SAID he was. He really didn't have the knowledge, tenacity, and resources to restore his car. Even the one car he had chosen to keep for 30 years.

Why, then, did I have any right to expect him to help me restore MY car? How could he encourage me when he couldn't even encourage himself? Thinking back on the order of events, it may well be that my willingness to let go of the t-bird may have, in some way, enabled my Dad to let go of the Pierce. I take both loss and blessing from that thought.

Last week I found a replacement grille for my t-bird on eBay, local and with a very reasonable buy now price. Even though finances are a little strained, I bought the grille, contacted the seller, and subsequently picked it up. I met another fascinating man, a "ford-a-holic" with two mustangs (a 67 and a late model), a motorcycle, and a 57 t-bird. My kind of guy! His wife must be very forgiving. His t-bird is in about the same condition as mine, with very ugly paint and rust holes in the floor. Check out his blog here!  It had the wrong grille when he bought it, so he sold the grille to me. He has no kids to put through college, so he should have the resources to complete his t-bird project before I do. I hope he does.

The grille itself is not important. It wasn't a priority of mine, just something that I knew I needed... eventually. Car restoration on a budget is teaching me to be flexible, to set general priorities but remain alert to new possibilities. I know that I have a tendency to obsess on my own agenda... and sometimes loose sleep over it... but I also know that progress requires my continued enthusiasm, which is more important than time or money. I believe that God provides me little graces, like this grille, to bless and encourage my enthusiasm. Also, to remind me of his power to redeem my past hurts.

"I will repay you for the years that the locusts have eaten" Joel 2:25a NIV

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