Can God Really Heal Something Broken?
Pastor Shawn Robinson
Several years ago when I was a youth pastor (OK, many years ago), I was at an amusement park with a group of kids and happened to spend some time in the “glass blowing” shop. You know the place. Everyone watches the “craftsman” heat up a piece of glass and then mold it into some kind of beautiful figurine.
What caught my attention was a little girl who had entered the shop cautiously holding a bag. She timidly presented it to the shopkeeper and asked “Can you fix it?”
He carefully removed a beautiful glass unicorn from the bag which had somehow broken it’s horn. I was surprised and pleased by what he said next. “Sure I can honey” was the quick reply. But then he said something I will never forget. “You know it was smart of you to bring this to me, because I was the one who created it. I know how it’s put together, so I can hold it under the flame without hurting it. Once it’s heated up and pliable, I can easily re-attach this horn. In fact, when I am done working on it, your unicorn will be even stronger than before. I’ll even add a few special touches to make it even more valuable!”
I don’t know if the little girl recognized the correlation, but I was in awe of this holy comparison. You see, this is our story. We come to God as fragile people, unable to repair our damaged lives. Yet our God carefully takes us out of hiding. He holds us under the fire (because he knows how much heat we can take), but instead of leaving us in our broken condition, he molds us into something new, stronger and more beautiful than ever before.
The best part of this story however, was the face of the little girl when he handed the newly “repaired” figurine back to her. For now, on the top of the unicorn was a brightly colored pair of wings! She was now holding a flying Pegasus in her hands!
You see once we are in the hands of the creator, he makes us stronger so we can soar!
As I look across our church each Sunday there are times when all I see are broken, hurting people. Yet however sad this first appears, I believe with all my heart that God can restore someone who is broken and make them whole.
That’s why I’m grateful to be sharing the story of Joseph on Sundays for September and October. Even though he is broken, hurt and confused, God holds on tightly to Joseph. Through the heat of trials, Joseph is molded into a man of God whose life lessons equip him perfectly to save many lives. Instead of becoming bitter, he is given wings to soar! At the end of the story, Joseph is able to proclaim to those who hurt him, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:19-20)
Joseph saw that this incredible life transformation came, not through will-power, charisma, or determination, but through the presence of God in his life. My prayer is that you will allow God to take a hold of you and mold you into something that can be even stronger and more beautiful than before!
Your Pastor,
Shawn
September 2006