October 22, 2024
It was a dumb move. I was carrying too much coming in from the back porch. A pillow was under one arm, coffee mug in one hand. In the other hand I held my laptop. It was updating as it shut down so I needed to keep it open. As I crossed the threshold into the kitchen, I bumped the screen door. Quick as a wink, it slipped from my hand falling flat on the concrete from shoulder height. I had never dropped it like that before but knew it was bad.
To be honest, it could have been worse. Much worse. The screen was not completely shattered-more like splintered-but it still worked. That was what mattered.
I didn’t mention the incident to my beloved.
The coolest thing is that since the “incident”, my laptop works better than ever! I won’t mention the brand, but not long after purchasing it four years ago, I had a small problem. Static electricity built up each time I used it causing the touchpad to stop working. It was so frustrating. After several calls to customer service, I found that it was just a thing with this type of laptop. I could get it replaced but if I switched it for the same thing, I would have the same problem. A wireless mouse was the fix. Not the end of the world.
Now that my screen is cracked, the static doesn’t build up at all! Yay! I do have to squint occasionally when I read and we all have more chins than usual in pictures, but other than that, all is well. It’s like a comfortable and slightly scuffed pair of good shoes-it fits me.
Last week, instead of printing out the Bible story pictures for our Wednesday Nite Kidz, I decided to show the illustrations on my laptop. I pulled it from my bag and opened it up. They all gasped when they saw the screen. (Apparently somebody’s dropped electronics at their house.) “What happened?!” they yelled as one. I explained about the accident and that even though it looked weird, it still worked. We went on with the lesson. (We were studying about David.)
Broken things still work. Especially in the kingdom of God. The Bible is full of true stories where He used people who were broken and unlikely to recover. Our Wednesday Nite Kidz will find that out about David when they are older. He loved God greatly but also messed up royally. There are others we learn this from in the pages of God’s Word, some in our own lives.
When a treasured item is broken in Japan, liquid gold is used to put the pieces back together. This ancient art called kintsugi makes the damaged pottery whole, more resilient, and also a work of art. Can you picture God doing the same thing with us?
A big fat lie the devil tells us is that we are unusable when we are broken. Don’t listen to him.
One of my favorite things about my Heavenly Father is that He loves unconditionally. He dishes out grace, mercy, and second chances like nobody’s business. When we come to Him with broken lives and hearts, He can use our messes for a message that will bring Him glory. He can even use broken computers.
