by Pastor Sharon Ortiz, Pastor of Education
Prince Philip competes in the World Carriage Driving Championships, 1980. TIM GRAHAM//GETTY IMAGES
If you are a fan of The Crown, then you, like me, must have been elated when Season 5 was finally released. Without giving away any important spoilers, we see that Philip, in his older age, has taken up carriage driving as a sport. There’s a scene where he is given an old, dilapidated, out-of-commission relic of a carriage, that had been sitting in a garage, covered and ignored, never intended to be put to use again, but too much of a nuisance to throw away. In his newfound passion, he takes up the task of restoring it.
Restoring the carriage, much like restoring an old car, requires a tremendous degree of research, resources, expertise, and work. We see Philip tackle this head on, and with joy. The process is so laborious, that at some point you think, it would be easier to just buy a new one. You wonder if it is even worth it. Finally, however, the finished work is revealed, and the glory of an original form being restored, brought back to its authentic self, once again fit for its intended use, puts to rest any doubt that it was all worth it.
God is a God who restores. The easier thing to do would be to walk away, leave us in disrepair, to start over. Yet no matter how broken things may seem, nothing is too hard for Him. God sees you in your intended form and purpose, and by His blood, restores you. And He doesn’t just restore us for function and use; I love that the Bible says He restores us to Himself. He is so personal, so loving. He has done the hard work. It is finished. And it is all worth it.
As Thanksgiving draws near, I give thanks foremost for my salvation. May ALCF be a body that has eyes to see what God has called us to be. If you are weary, may He restore your soul, and whatever you are walking through, may you take hope in the fact that we serve a God who will restore all things unto Himself.