Broken Things

The sacrifices of God are a broken

spirit: a broken and a contrite

heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Psalm 51:17

Hanging on the wall over my piano is “what-not” shelving. There are three shelves on this particular display. On those shelves. as I am presently looking at it are several items...my ceramic wedding cake topper, a small vase, shoe and dish my mother also gave me, but the rest are cups and saucers (antiques by now) that belonged to my Scotch grandmother. They are beautiful with varied designs. There is even one cup and saucer that friends of my grandmother brought back from England when they went there at the time of the coronation of the present Queen Elizabeth. All of these things are carefully wrapped and packed when we move.

About ten years ago, as I was playing the piano, a nail on one side of this shelving came out of the wall and things began to fall. I did my best to grab at items one by one. It could have been one big pile of gold embossed china and ceramics but managed to catch several pieces. One cup was totally destroyed but it's saucer was okay. Another china cup broke into about four neat pieces. A saucer also went into several pieces. I was so grateful for super glue. Brian and I carefully tried to put these “Humpty-dumpties” together again. The cup looks good from a distance but is unusable. The saucer also came together quite well but it's cup was the one that was smashed to smithereens. By faith and some sturdy nails, it all is hanging on the wall in front of me but every now and then I get nervous as to what could happen again. Broken things, especially broken things of sentiment are hard to deal with.

There's nothing unusual about broken things in our lives. Many are more of an inconvenience than anything, such as a broken windshield in a car, sitting on a pair of glasses and busting something on them, leg on a chair, fingernail, etc.......

However, there are things that are broken that aren't mere inconveniences. They are things of life, things no super glue can handle...things like Humpty-dumpty that can't be put together again, at least to their original condition. Many such things might be mended to some extent (like my china cup that's been glued together but can't be used for it's intended purpose) but we are often left with memories that are uncomfortable. These are things that aren't material...they are things of life, things of the heart. Some of these things might be:

Broken friendships, marriages

Erring children that can break parents' hearts

Broken promises

A daughter “breaks up” with a boyfriend

Church splits (a major break up)

Broken health (especially a broken bone)

The things listed above will break our hearts. Most of the time we won't know why God has allowed us to go through brokenness. Other human beings cannot heal our broken times...God, our Father is the One who does that if we want total healing. Scripture says:

He healeth the broken in heart,

and bindeth up their wounds

Psalm 147: 3

Let me add that in our broken times, our Heavenly Father never wastes those times. There is always something spiritual in nature that He wants us to learn. One of the first questions we should ask Him when something is about to break us in pieces is: “What do You want me to learn from this experience?” What a shame and waste for us to force ourselves to endure and then walk away unchanged.

We must remember that Jesus knew something about being broken...broken like you and I will never have to experience. Because of that in His life, He can relate when you and I find ourselves broken.... that we feel it will almost take the very life out of us. Jesus said the following in the presence of His disciples:

And when He had given thanks, He

brake it, and said,

Take, eat: this is my body, which is

broken for you: this do in

remembrance of me.

I Corinthians 11:24

Jesus gave above and beyond what anyone else could give and His broken body was for us. He surely experienced a broken heart any number of times prior to his crucifixion. He was betrayed by one of His very own disciples and denied by another. I've gone through both of those things and can't even measure the tears I cried over being betrayed and even denied. Jesus knows and understands. Fleeing to Him is the only answer. It would be wonderful if there was a “super glue” for the heart. However, I've often said that only God's love putty can fill in the cracks of a broken heart or broken spirit. What a comfort knowing that He stands ready to love and heal us. God puts we Humpty-dumpties together again so that we can serve Him better than before and walk in even closer relationship with Him.

Lord Jesus, I understand there are times I need to go through a time of brokenness that is a time of hurt but a time of cleansing as well. When I need to be broken, do what You deem best, but please stay ever near during those times. I love you and place my life totally in Your hands to do what you see is best to do so that I can be a clean and willing vessel for Your use. Amen and Amen.