Life Through the Lens: Brian’s bike
Kevin Schrapel gives a shout-out to a Murray Bridge maker, and thinks about the act of creation.
This post is the author’s personal opinion.
This machine is unique.
Handcrafted by Brian, it has been put together with love and care, made from stuff that most people would have chucked out.
There is not another like it anywhere in the world.
“It still needs a couple of modifications and a coat of paint,” Brian explains as, with justifiable pride, he describes his design ideas.
With a heartwarming grin, his final comment is, “yeah, I’m happy with it”.
At the beginning of the Bible, following the account of God creating everything, including the first man and woman, it records that “God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).
However, the most fantastic part of this whole account of God’s creation is verse 27: “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them”.
This reference to “image” is not “to look like God”, but to have within us the essence of the God of the Bible, which is love and the ability to show and feel love.
This wonderful and unique love has many parts to it.
Brian obviously loves turning what some might call scrap into something different and valuable and then sharing his creation.
God, with his particular kind of love, sees all people as valuable and to be loved, especially those whom others may think are “junk”.
The most God-like love is the love that forgives: love that forgives hurts, injustices, acts of anger and unkindness; love that not only forgives but then works to restore a broken relationship with love and trust.
We can all have this unique love by recognising that that is why the son of God, Jesus, came to recreate in us that godly love, a love that makes us forgiven friends of God and able to share love and forgiveness with others.
His words tell us, “put on the new person, who is being renewed with full knowledge, according to the image of God, who created him” (Colossians 3:10-11).
If you think you are not worth much, open your mind, talk to God about what he feels about you and be prepared to discover he does love you and your valuable life.
And if you see Brian and his bike, give him a smile and a wave because he is special and what he has made is unique.
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