I heard a story from a guest speaker at a meeting I went to
recently that has really stuck with me and I believe it bears repeating!
This speaker was from Romania where all of her family
still lives. While visiting her family the gift of an heirloom that has been
passed down from generation to generation was bestowed upon her. This precious
family heirloom was a set of fine china. She told her mother she was scared to
transport them from Romania
to the United States
in fear that something would happen to them, however her mother insisted that
the tradition be carried on through her: the only female of her generation.
Upon arriving home after a long journey she carefully opened
the box of china. Tears sprung to her face as she beheld the sight of her
family’s fine china. Several pieces lay broken and cracked in the bottom of the
box. In a fit of unbelievable anger she picked up the un-broken china and
smashed it into tiny pieces destroying the rest of her inheritance.
Everyone in the room gasped at her drastic reaction, until
she revealed to us that instead of smashing what was left of her family’s
heirloom she lovingly picked up the broken pieces, finding every speck that she
could and mended them back together. Then she said to us “how many times do we
set goals for ourselves and the first time we slip we smash what is left in to tiny
pieces?”
I don’t know about you but I am very guilty of doing just
that! I will set a goal for myself, and the very moment I mess up I will throw
in the towel.
Instead we should think of ourselves as the fine china! When
we mess up and fail, and we most definitely will, we need to come before God
and allow him to help us pick up the pieces and mend them back together. After
all isn’t that exactly what God declared when he sent his son to die on the
cross for us? He was telling us that we are precious that we are beyond
valuable to him.
My challenge to you today is to treat yourself as fine
china! Take it a step at a time. When you mess up, confess it to God ask for
his forgiveness and help; and then mend the pieces back together!
Psalm 116:1-9 New Living Translation (NLT)
1 I love the Lord because he hears my voice
and my prayer for mercy. 2 Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath! 3 Death wrapped its ropes around me;
the terrors of the grave[a] overtook me.
I saw only trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Please, Lord, save me!” 5 How kind the Lord is! How good he is!
So merciful, this God of ours!
6 The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and he saved me.
7 Let my soul be at rest again,
for the Lord has been good to me.
8 He has saved me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
9 And so I walk in the Lord’s presence
as I live here on earth!
and my prayer for mercy. 2 Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath! 3 Death wrapped its ropes around me;
the terrors of the grave[a] overtook me.
I saw only trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Please, Lord, save me!” 5 How kind the Lord is! How good he is!
So merciful, this God of ours!
6 The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and he saved me.
7 Let my soul be at rest again,
for the Lord has been good to me.
8 He has saved me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
9 And so I walk in the Lord’s presence
as I live here on earth!
Lovely post, MICH! Good thing our inheritance is not in earthly things, though I , too, love my fine china and lovely quilts and things that remind me of my loved ones. Have a blessed day!
ReplyDeleteI agree! Sometimes it can be difficult to remember that "everything is meaningless" as it says in Ecclesiastes. Only God can fill that void we have in our lives!
ReplyDelete