The Broken Pieces

Life often presents us with unexpected teaching moments, catching us by surprise. These moments have a way of offering profound lessons when we least expect them.

One event that almost brought tears to my eyes occurred a few weeks ago with my four-year-old son. I was sitting with him at the dining table, sharing a drink. I had placed a glass cup for him on the table, but he was eager to hold it and pour the drink by himself. I asked him not to touch it and to wait for me to pour the drink. However, his impatience got the better of him, and he couldn't wait for my help. When I momentarily looked away, he decided to pour the drink himself.

Unfortunately, his attempt didn't go as planned, and the glass fell and shattered into pieces. Realizing he had done something I had explicitly asked him not to do, he became remorseful and started crying, exclaiming, "Oh no, what happened? I made a mess!" Though I called out to him to come to me, away from the broken glass scattered on the floor, he ran away, not caring about stepping on the shards. Fortunately, he wore house shoes and didn't get injured by the broken glass. As a mother, it pained me to see his remorse, and while trying to avoid trouble, he ended up walking through danger. I decided not to scold him as I initially thought; instead, I held him close and assured him that he could always come to me whenever there was a problem, even if he had caused it, and that I would find a way to make things right.

As I sat back after cleaning up the mess and mopping the floor, I reflected on how often we do the same thing with our Heavenly Father. We often go to God in prayer, and when He makes us wait, He is taking care of things behind the scenes. However, we often feel that He needs to take more time, and we believe we can handle things faster than He can. We think God is delaying in answering our prayers, so we take matters into our own hands, regardless of the consequences. Along the way, we may think our solutions are working and that we have achieved what we were impatiently waiting for from God. But in reality, we end up making a mess of everything. Sometimes, our makeshift solutions may appear to work temporarily, but most of the time, they are short-lived because God's guidance and involvement are absent. What God does not give does not last. We find ourselves in a mess.

Even when we have "broken the glass" and made a mess of what God was beautifully put together, I want you to know that God still loves you and will repair your broken pieces when you cry out to Him for help. He is the restorer of our brokenness, and when He steps in, He makes everything new, as if we never messed up. That's the kind of God He is.

Another thing I want to remind you is that God's love is more significant than any mistake we could ever make. I know that some of you may have broken the "glass cup" of your life, and some may be running or have already ran far away from our Heavenly Father, leaving you feeling scared and uncertain. But I want to remind you that God's love for you is unconditional and everlasting. He is a loving and merciful God. All He asks of you is to call upon Him, even in your troubled and fearful state.

The book of John 3:16, reminds us, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." This verse emphasizes that God's love is not based on our actions.

Let us remember the words of Psalm 55:22, which urges us to "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." When we find ourselves in situations where we have acted hastily or ignored God's guidance, let us humbly come before Him, laying our burdens at His feet. For God's love is greater than our mistakes, and His desire is to guide us through life's challenges. May we find solace in the promise of Psalm 46:1, which reassures us that "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." So, let us surrender our impatience, fears, and self-condemnation, and turn to God in prayer, trusting in His love, restoration, and guidance.