Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to
be still before God.
Opening Prayer: O Lord our God, help us to be faithful to gather
what you have provided for our hearts and souls this day—that we may feed on
you and live. In the name of Jesus, the
bread of life. Amen.
Scripture Reading for the Day: John 6:1-14
Reading for Reflection:
The call came at about
9:30 pm on a typical Thursday evening in early December. I had just returned home from somewhere or
other and was talking with my wife in the living room about the events of the
day when our son called on his cell phone to ask if he could go to the church
coffee shop with some friends. As she
spoke to him there was an abrupt halt in the conversation—a significant amount
of panic and anxiety filled her usually calm face. Our son, as his mother was listening, had
just been involved in an automobile accident.
I quickly got news of his location and headed for the door—not being
able to get there fast enough. Fears and
prayers consumed the drive until I reached the scene. As I arrived I saw him—in one piece,
unhurt—standing with a few friends in the midst of the broken glass and police
lights and passersby. My only desire at
that moment was wrap my arms around him—which I did as he began to express his
sorrow and sadness. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” was all he could say; which
was met only by my relief and gratitude that he was unhurt.
“I’m just so glad you are okay.”
So we stood there in the middle of the
road and waited as reports were written and information was exchanged and
wrecker services were called. Looking
down at my feet all I could see was broken pieces… glass, plastic, metal,
etc. The pieces were littering the
street—such an appropriate description of the scene in general—broken. Broken glass.
Broken pieces. Broken
hearts. Broken world. Broken.
That’s when the words came. Words that I had been captured by months
before that were returning at just the right time. “Gather the pieces that are left
over. Let nothing be wasted.” Words that offered such comfort and
hope. Words that spoke of God’s heart
and God’s presence, even in the midst of the broken pieces of this life. It was as if Jesus was saying to me, “I am
here. I am with you even in the
brokenness. Gather the pieces and you
will find me. You are not alone in this. With me nothing is wasted. I will use even the most broken situations to
mold and make you into the amazing creation that I have always longed for you
to be.”
What a crazy world this is that we live
in—a world where brokenness is unfortunately a part of life. Death and suffering, war and violence, conflict
and strife; from anger, hatred, and racism to hurricanes, tornados and
tsunamis. We can’t avoid it, or deny
it, no matter how hard we may try. But
the beautiful thing is that brokenness does not have the last word—wholeness
does. For no matter how broken the
heart, or the life, or the circumstance, we have this amazing God who says, “With
me nothing is wasted. Gather the pieces,
I am in the midst of them.”
Reflection and Listening: silent and written
Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself
Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself
Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you are present in
the midst of the broken pieces of this day.
May we find you there as we gather them up and may it help us to trust
both your provision for us, as well as the goodness of your heart. Amen.
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