The town I live in was settled in 1867. It still has a few houses that were built during those first years and is filled with houses that were constructed in the early 1900’s, most of them in desperate need of restoration.
My husband and I live in a 1905 Queen Anne. According to neighbors and my mailman, this house used to be in very bad shape. Fortunate for us, several years back, someone saw the potential, moved in and did a remarkable job of restoration. As a lover of antiques, I have really loved living in this house. There is obviously maintenance needed from time to time (as is also the case with new houses) and my husband does a wonderful job on that.
Ever since I moved to this town, I have been interested in seeing more of these old homes restored. Thankfully, I am not the only one. I have a friend who is running for mayor who wants to bring the town back to its former glory. There is a new business downtown dedicated to restoring the town’s old homes. Other people recognize that there is value in saving what was once beautiful and bringing it back to life.
{{Information |Description={{en|1=This is a photo, family history book about the first immigrant of the Poindexter (Poingdestre) family, George Poindexter (Poingdestre), and his plantation home, Criss Cross, earlier known as Christ Cross, by the cross des
Restoring old houses or refinishing antiques takes a lot of work. It requires acquiring the knowledge of how to do it right, the ability to imagine the value of a restored product and the patience to keep at it.
There is a similarity between houses that need restoration and people that need redemption. What was created to be beautiful decays over time without careful maintenance. It was not always that way.
When God first created man, conditions were ideal. Adam and Eve enjoyed God’s company. They walked and talked with Him freely in the Garden.
Then, because of sin, everything changed. People began to age and die. Sin created a gap between God and man that could only be bridged by the sacrificial substitutionary death of God’s Son. He died in our place to do what we could not do for ourselves – restore us to a relationship with God.
…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-18a NIV).
If God is to be glorified in His children, continual maintenance is necessary. We must use the tools He has provided – His Word, fellowship, corporate worship, prayer – in order to be what He intends us to be.
Satan tries to make it as difficult as he can by distracting us. He wants us to believe we do not need restoration. Don’t be like Eve and believe his lies. Living the Christian life takes work, but it is God who does the work for us.
Our role in the redemption and restoration process is trusting God. He knows how to do it right. Only He can see our real value. He is forever patient with us as we struggle with anything that needs to be repaired. He is in the business of redeeming and restoring mankind.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me (Psalm 51:12 NIV).
One Focus Ministries 