The insurance adjuster came to look at my truck. He had a special visor that cast lots of lines on the surface of the paint. It was much easier to see the pits that the hail had created. It was like looking at contour lines surrounding a black hole. There were lots of divots. I originally noticed a few dings, but the tool revealed so many more. It made me a little depressed.
The adjuster scrutinized the hood, the roof, and the side panels. He kept stopping and making notes. He pointed out the damage again and again. Finally, he turned to me and said, "No problem. They can easily get these dimples out." He tried to explain the process, but I remain a bit skeptical. He reassured me again that it would all be ok. His confidence gave me confidence. I'm looking forward to the process and expecting that it will look close to brand new.
This is like the spiritual process of Lent. We are all aware of a few of our sins, but close examination will reveal many more. God's word is a plumb line (Amos 7:7) that helps reveal the places in our lives that are distortions of the truth. Lent helps us see the reality of our situation. Lent points us to the one who can restore us, who can make us whole again. Last Wednesday, I placed the mark of the cross on people's foreheads using a mixture of ashes and oil. I said the words, "You are marked with the cross." The ashes remind us that we are sinners. The cross reminds us that we have a savior. The ashes give evidence to any who can see that we are aware of our sins. The cross tells people that our sin was covered by Christ. I'm praying that this season will be a time of restoration for all of us.
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