"Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." Luke 20:18
I read an article yesterday that spoke of a statue that was recently repaired in a local cemetery. It is a statue of Jesus standing with open arms. His hands had been broken off, and the face had been severely vandalized. Amazingly, a sculptor had rebuilt the hands and face using identical materials, and he bolted them in place, bringing the statue back to life. Rather than crushing the statue completely and creating a new one, the sculptor was able to repair it. Now, generations can be inspired by the work of not only one artist, but two. Can brokenness be a gift? In the case of this statue, it was. Repair was still possible. Brokenness was not the end.
For most of my adult life, I have been broken. Somewhere along the way the statue was smashed, and I have spent the better part of ten years trying to put the pieces back together again. Sometimes I have used the proper materials. Sometimes I have grabbed what I thought would help, but it only caused me more pain.
Amazingly, the Sculptor hasn't quit on me. Rather than crushing me completely for my failures, He has carefully rebuilt the broken parts and continues to bring me back to life.
Jesus, thank You for standing with opens arms to receive me. Thank You for rebuilding that which I thought would be destroyed forever. Forgive me for opening my heart to the ways of the world. Worldly solutions can never repair what is broken. Ultimately, they only cause more damage.
Refrain from falling upon me, Lord. Forgive my sin, and make me whole again.