Read: Psalm 51:1-12; 2 Corinthians 5:17

Cassian pointed to a row of cars on display at the automobile museum. “Don’t these old cars look funny, Grandpa?”

Grandpa smiled. “Well, they look a bit funny to us now, but they were pretty fancy in their day.” He pointed to one of the cars. “My grandfather drove a car like that when he was a young man. It came in any color you wanted, as long as what you wanted was black.”

Cassian laughed. “Did you get to ride around in it when you were a kid?”

“No,” said Grandpa. “It was long gone by then. I just saw it in a picture.”

“Some of these old cars look brand new!” Cassian said, peering through the window of one of them. “This one doesn’t look like it’s ever been out on the road.”

“Oh, but it has,” said Grandpa. “It’s very old and must have traveled many miles, but it’s been restored.”

“Restored?” asked Cassian. “That means it’s been fixed up so it looks just like it did when it was new, right?”

Grandpa nodded. “Worn-out parts have been replaced, and the car’s been repainted with shiny new paint. It’s just like it’s brand new again.” He stooped down to get a closer look at the car’s shiny wheels. “It’s kind of like what Jesus does for us when we confess our sins to Him. He forgives us and makes us clean again. The Bible says He restores our souls. It’s like He refreshes us and makes us brand new.”

“When an old car is restored, it must look way different than it did when it was worn out,” said Cassian. “But Jesus doesn’t make us look different.”

“Well, I’m not so sure about that,” said Grandpa. “He changes our spirit and soul and attitude, and I think that can make us look different too. We’re able to have a better outlook on life and care deeply for others because we know our sins have been forgiven and we belong to Him. And that often puts a smile on our faces instead of a scowl. Don’t you think?”

Cassian thought about it. “Yeah,” he said. “I guess so!”

–Sam L. Sullivan

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