#broken #waterwalkinggirls

Monday morning I rushed into my office to grab something and planned to run right back out. As the door slammed behind me I heard the sound of something hitting the floor and the glass breaking.  As I looked back I saw on the floor a broken picture frame.  Many people may have been upset to have broken something like this but for me it was a God wink as just hours before I had written and posted about the Water Walkers word of the week “broken.” God had provided a tangible example for me.  In fact it triggered a memory of when my son Preston was 4 years old.  He had come to school to be screened for preschool.  After the assessment the teacher told me one of the items he had lost points on was on his response to the question, “What should you do if you break something?” The expected answer was, “I get help from an adult or I take it to a grown-up.”  However Preston’s response was, “I fix it.” Being the independent 4 year old that he was, his plan if he broke something was to try to fix it himself.

Aren’t we the very same?  When we are broken or if we are experiencing brokenness often our first response is to try to fix it ourselves.  This week I have been reminded of a poem I read years ago.

Let Go and Let God

As children bring their broken toys with tears for us to mend,

I brought my broken dream to God because he was my Friend.

But then, instead of leaving Him in peace to work alone,

I hung around and tried to help

With ways that were my own.

At last, I snatched them back and cried,

“How could You be so slow?”

“My child,” He said,

“What could I do? You never did let go?”

(Author: Loretta P. Burns)

Last week my life was touched so closely by tragedy.  As a mother I wanted to help and I wanted to fix the brokenness.  However I was at a loss.  I had no words to help.  I felt helpless.  God has reminded me that I am not the one to fix the break.  Only God can mend the broken hearts.  The Bible tells us over and over that God heals, God mends, God fixes.   I encourage you to take some time today to read the entire chapter of Psalm 31.  The chapter closes with, “Be strong and take heart all you who hope in the Lord.” Psalm 31:24 NIV  Now read the Message version of Psalm 31:23-24, “Love God, all you saints; God takes care of all who stay close to him, But he pays back in full those arrogant enough to go it alone.  Be brave.  Be strong.  Don’t give up.  Expect God to get here soon.”

So my prayer for you and I is that we give God whatever it is that is breaking our hearts today.  Let’s let go of it and allow God to work in and through it.  Let’s stay close to God and not “go it alone.” Let’s be brave, strong and not give up.  Most of all let’s “expect God to get here soon.”