The Lord’s Repair Shop Valdosta Branch By Dr. Bill Lewis
	Written for the August 2005 Georgia State Association of FWB Promotional Bulletin
Living next door to our family in Vidalia, Georgia, was a very kind gentleman who happened to run a local auto repair shop. At the time, we had teenagers learning to drive and our neighbor proved to be a real blessing. He would often repair our frequently broken vehicles for free or for very little. I was always hesitant to ask for his help, but when he was needed, the good neighbor was always willing and ready to help. We have missed our neighbor since leaving that part of Georgia. We grew to have a great deal of confidence in his abilities to repair just about anything we could tear up. I will never forget the time I drove the van into the garage a little too quickly. The result was a hole in the back wall of the garage. Our neighbor’s four-year-old was standing off to the side, and when he saw the hole and the concern on my face, he quickly said, “Don’t worry, my Daddy can fix that.” Neighbors like our Vidalia neighbor are hard to find! The world is full of people who are broken in one way or the other. No heart survives the onslaught of life without some damage. Everyone needs someone like our Vidalia neighbor, but they need someone who can repair and set right all that damage to their hearts. Everyone needs someone to take part of the load and provide relief in life. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 11:29-30 (NKJV), “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” The Gospel preaching church is the local branch of the “Lord’s Repair Shop” where broken hearts are made right through His Word. In His repair shop, God does not simply patch us up or even make us like new; He makes us new creatures in Christ. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17, NKJV) II Corinthians 5:18 (NKJV) follows up the previous verse by stating, “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” God has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; we are His service technicians, and our tool box is His Word. It is my prayer that Open Door Fellowship in Valdosta will be the Lord’s Repair Shop where all those who are broken can receive through the Word of God what they need. It is my prayer that Open Door Fellowship can present Christ to all those who come so that He can fix their broken hearts by making them new creatures.