May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:5
There was a time where when things broke, we fixed them. I can recall my dad dismantling our broken hair dryer and tinkering with it until its heated airflow was again restored. Once, he even had a car engine – in all its metallic glory – in pieces on our kitchen table!
But we have become a disposable, dollar store society. When something has either broken or lost its purpose, we throw it away. Is it because of the “click” mentality of the internet, the advent of inexpensive Chinese goods, or the plethora of fast food options that we are generally hasty and impatient in our impulsive acquisitions and our ability to take care of them?
This disposable demeanour has spilled over into many aspects of our lives. You see it in the mismanagement of our planet and its resources, in the alarming commodification of human beings and the thriving pornography industry, in the wife who says, “I’ve fallen out of love with you”, or the husband who trades his wife for a newer version. We have grown accustomed to the idea that things, relationships, and even people are dispensable.
But I can’t help wondering whether we might still be equipped with the fortitude to fix. That we still possess the steadfastness needed to put aside our selfish desires, and to put up with some unpleasantness for a time in order to mend what is broken. Could we stop thinking that the next best thing is better and instead stick with – even be satisfied and thankful for – what we have? Could we reach into another’s mess and walk with them for a time rather than turning away? Could we again value and celebrate human life?
I think we can.
I’m not beyond believing that broken can be mended.
Sometimes broken things need to be completely and painstakingly dismantled before they can work again. That’s where it gets messy and many give up. The process of fixing takes too long, appears impossible, is too hard, too painful, and too unpleasant. It’s so much easier to trade it in for something else, or someone else, or to ignore it completely than to roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty. But whether a broken system, a broken relationship, or a broken life, with the patient love only God provides – and the added steadfastness of Christ – it’s possible for broken things to be restored.
It may take time. It will require patience. It may not look the same once put back together. There may still be cracks or places where the grace glue from the Invisible is still visible, but it will be beautiful in spite of it all. And the beauty won’t merely be in the remaking or the remade, but also in everything else that came as a result.
When things break we learn to:
“glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” ~ Romans 5:3-4
And we learn not to give up but instead:
“Count it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4
Like the engine my dad restored, let’s be repairers and restorers – using all our God-given tools to patiently mend the broken bits while never giving up.
May you grow in your love of God and the steadfastness of Christ, and may your relationships become perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
_______________________________________________________________________
- Is there a broken relationship or person in your life? Look for any ways to be a repairer.
- On the verge of giving up? With God’s help, nothing is impossible! Keep your eyes on God and continue in steadfastness!