Restored

Recently, I was invited to visit the "home museum" of 78 year old Ray Scheffy. Our three-hour tour was inspiring. I was struck by how this man saved instruments that were in danger of being destroyed and was able to restore them with relative ease. He seems to come by this talent for restoration quite naturally. He shrugs his shoulders as if to emphasize the effortlessness with which he does his craft.

Many of his instruments come from the 1800s and 1920s. Unusual and rare items. Player pianos. Victrolas. Radios. A Violano Virtuoso. Antique music boxes. Organs. Caliopes. Band organs. Mechanical music machines with stained glass covering window for viewing the triangle, xylophone, keyboard, and tambourine. Amazing wonders.

He saved them all.

I think his love for these instruments is best explained in the story he tells about a large French music box he has in his collection. (There must be another name for it, but it slips my mind.) It was made in France in the 1800s. This musical machine is almost as long as a piano. Inside is this large cylinder with pins sticking up on it. These pins are what helps to make the music. Ray had a heart attack years ago. He spent his time recovering by replacing all 5,000 pins so that this instrument's music could be heard again.

His love for these instruments - his appreciation for the music they make - is evident.

I couldn't help but think theologically about this! I was thinking about how I fail at many things. I fall away from God. There have been times in my life when I have felt that my life was almost as unsalvageable as these music machines. But, God sees something in me, takes me in and restores me so that my gifts can be used again.

He restores my soul.
Psalm 23

Check out this video of Ray Scheffy and his Music Museum!