As a long time member of the “Society of those Who Appreciate Mechanical Devices” I am fully aware that stuff has a certain shelf life. Like fresh bagels that all too soon turn stale and dry, machinery, whether domestic or industrial, lasts only so long. Hopefully they last longer than baked goods, but still, one cannot expect a radio or electric drill to last a lifetime. Unlike a bagel, however, devices beyond their best-before date may not be irredeemable. A few judicious repairs or adjustments might bring a fallen machine back to life, thus extending it’s usefulness well beyond what might be normally expected. On the other hand, if the repairs are too expensive, it might not be worth the investment. A new machine might be better. Furthermore, if parts are unavailable, one has no choice. In this situation, we members of the “Society of those Who Appreciate Mechanical Devices” learn all too quickly that we have also joined the “Money Pit Society.
A recent experience with a broken device proved that one also should join the “Buyer Beware Club” when getting it repaired. One repair person declared the item in question beyond salvation. It was old, parts were expensive and there was no hope. Fortunately, they had similar items for sale at reasonable prices. Yay! A new machine. Wait a minute, Boo! a costly new machine. Time for a second opinion. Yay and double yay! It could be fixed after all. Just a quick part change and it was back in running order, as fresh and new as a bagel right out of the oven. Wow! That was close! If it hadn’t been for my cheapness, I would have thrown out a perfectly repairable device and spent a whole wad of cash getting it replaced.
Buyer beware indeed: I guess for some folks it’s easier to just sell a client a new thing rather than going to the trouble of actually fixing it. It’s probably much more profitable too, but I won’t go there. The bottom line is that ya gotta be careful out there. Salvation is possible, but sometimes the cost is more than one might want to lay out.
Thankfully, God treats we children of His differently than repairman do machines. God sees all of us as perfectly redeemable, no matter what the cost. In fact, God paid the greatest cost possible to ensure salvation for each and every one of us. Jesus’ sacrifice put “paid” to the bill for pulling us back from the brink of sin-caused total destruction. We need pay nothing. Jesus covered the cost for us. Nor do we need to feel that we are too far gone to be saved or too old to merit the expense. There is no upper age limit for our worthiness and no degree of brokeness that is beyond God’s ability to fix us up bright as new.
What’s more, unlike earthly repairmen, who need to be carefully scheduled, God is always available for whatever we might need. Whether it’s a major crisis or just a wee touch up, He’s always on call to fix whatever ails us spiritually. And what’s more,He’s always there for us even if we don’t need any help whatsoever. That’s just one more benefit of belonging to His society. At least that’s the way I see it.
A recent experience with a broken device proved that one also should join the “Buyer Beware Club” when getting it repaired. One repair person declared the item in question beyond salvation. It was old, parts were expensive and there was no hope. Fortunately, they had similar items for sale at reasonable prices. Yay! A new machine. Wait a minute, Boo! a costly new machine. Time for a second opinion. Yay and double yay! It could be fixed after all. Just a quick part change and it was back in running order, as fresh and new as a bagel right out of the oven. Wow! That was close! If it hadn’t been for my cheapness, I would have thrown out a perfectly repairable device and spent a whole wad of cash getting it replaced.
Buyer beware indeed: I guess for some folks it’s easier to just sell a client a new thing rather than going to the trouble of actually fixing it. It’s probably much more profitable too, but I won’t go there. The bottom line is that ya gotta be careful out there. Salvation is possible, but sometimes the cost is more than one might want to lay out.
Thankfully, God treats we children of His differently than repairman do machines. God sees all of us as perfectly redeemable, no matter what the cost. In fact, God paid the greatest cost possible to ensure salvation for each and every one of us. Jesus’ sacrifice put “paid” to the bill for pulling us back from the brink of sin-caused total destruction. We need pay nothing. Jesus covered the cost for us. Nor do we need to feel that we are too far gone to be saved or too old to merit the expense. There is no upper age limit for our worthiness and no degree of brokeness that is beyond God’s ability to fix us up bright as new.
What’s more, unlike earthly repairmen, who need to be carefully scheduled, God is always available for whatever we might need. Whether it’s a major crisis or just a wee touch up, He’s always on call to fix whatever ails us spiritually. And what’s more,He’s always there for us even if we don’t need any help whatsoever. That’s just one more benefit of belonging to His society. At least that’s the way I see it.
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