I was standing at the dishwasher, carefully loading each dish into the machine. Mindlessly, I placed each glass into the upper rack with gentle care. As I reached around to grab another glass, it slipped through my wet hands and crashed onto the floor. In a millisecond, the once whole glass was shattered...into a million tiny pieces. I screamed...My kids came running into the kitchen. Are you OK, Mom?
I just stared at the mess of water and broken glass on the floor. I let out a deep sigh. What is my first thought when I break a glass? I yell at everyone to "stay away" and "just let me clean it up." I don't want anyone else to get hurt by my mistakes. I dropped the glass. I broke it. I have to clean it up. It's my responsibility to make it right again.
I run to the closet and grab a broom and dustpan. I keep yelling to my kids, "DON'T go into the kitchen, until I have it cleaned up!"
I quickly run back to the scene of the crime...I look again and there's glass everywhere. It's amazing how when a glass shatters, the shards of glass can travel so quickly, and so far. As I bent over to sweep up the glass into the dustpan, I heard God speak to my heart. He said, "Can you put all the pieces of glass back together and make it hold water?"
I stopped in my tracks. The voice was so clear, yet so gentle...asking me a question to which it (God) already knew the answer. I answered, "No. I can't."
God spoke again, "I can...these pieces of glass...they are like your life. They shatter, but I am able to restore all things. I am able to put them back together again and make a container that holds water. Let Me clean up the mess of your life. Let Me put the pieces back together."
In that moment, I began to fully understand the grace that God has extended to each of us. Our lives are like a broken glass, irreparably broken and shattered. The pieces have traveled far and wide, carrying the great potential to hurt others (and ourselves). We fruitlessly attempt to pick up the pieces and create something that is meaningful, purposeful and good. We want our lives to mean something...to hold water.
The problem is that we can't put the pieces back together.
Only God can do that...and that's what He means when He says, "My grace is sufficient for you..."
I just stared at the mess of water and broken glass on the floor. I let out a deep sigh. What is my first thought when I break a glass? I yell at everyone to "stay away" and "just let me clean it up." I don't want anyone else to get hurt by my mistakes. I dropped the glass. I broke it. I have to clean it up. It's my responsibility to make it right again.
I run to the closet and grab a broom and dustpan. I keep yelling to my kids, "DON'T go into the kitchen, until I have it cleaned up!"
I quickly run back to the scene of the crime...I look again and there's glass everywhere. It's amazing how when a glass shatters, the shards of glass can travel so quickly, and so far. As I bent over to sweep up the glass into the dustpan, I heard God speak to my heart. He said, "Can you put all the pieces of glass back together and make it hold water?"
I stopped in my tracks. The voice was so clear, yet so gentle...asking me a question to which it (God) already knew the answer. I answered, "No. I can't."
God spoke again, "I can...these pieces of glass...they are like your life. They shatter, but I am able to restore all things. I am able to put them back together again and make a container that holds water. Let Me clean up the mess of your life. Let Me put the pieces back together."
In that moment, I began to fully understand the grace that God has extended to each of us. Our lives are like a broken glass, irreparably broken and shattered. The pieces have traveled far and wide, carrying the great potential to hurt others (and ourselves). We fruitlessly attempt to pick up the pieces and create something that is meaningful, purposeful and good. We want our lives to mean something...to hold water.
The problem is that we can't put the pieces back together.
Only God can do that...and that's what He means when He says, "My grace is sufficient for you..."
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NASB)
And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
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