“I lost my dad a few years ago. I miss him. He spent a lot of his life making things in his shed, and restoring old cars. When I was young, I used to go down to the shed every day and spend time with him. He taught me how to use his tools and how to make things. That’s how he showed us he loved us. Later, I became an engineer … and I really enjoy using my hands to create solutions to complex projects.”

“These days, I have my own shed out the back of our house. It’s nice and quiet. I can pray there, and think through things, and restore things. And being in isolation at the moment, I get to spend even more time in my shed!

“A few weeks ago, I was sorting through some of my dad’s things and I found an old, broken, toy truck. It was made by my grandfather, about 80 years ago, for my dad for Christmas. It was all rusted and broken. One of the wheels was missing. So I started working on it, to see if I could repair it. And as I was working on it, I kept thinking about what God is like. He created us to have a connection with him. He is the restorer of broken things. He came and dwelt with us. It says in John 1:14. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

“I’ve always liked that verse. God came and dwelt with us. We can see what God is like through his Son, the Lord Jesus. And when Jesus lived among the people, he spent time talking with them, walking with them, and teaching them things. He showed us God’s love by the way he spent time with people, helping them and restoring them.

“And as I was restoring the truck, I also thought about the way God restores us. He can create good things in us, no matter how old and broken we are. He can even use times of crisis in the world to create good things.

“And slowly, as I was working on the old truck, it began to shine again. I’m giving it to our eldest grandson for his fourth birthday this week. Normally, our grandkids come over and play with me in my shed. They love picking up the hammers and the screwdrivers and I teach them how to use them, and we make things together. But I can’t see any of them at the moment because of the virus … so I think I’ll send the truck in the post.”

Peter’s story is part of Eternity’s Faith Stories series, compiled by Naomi Reed. Click here for more Faith Stories.