The Broken Bells

My wife had a collection of bells when we got married. They were beautiful bells made of glass or porcelain. When we bought our first house, we displayed her bell collection in the living room on a shelf hanging on the wall. They remained there for a while until they were not. The reason they were not hanging there anymore was that something was on the floor below the shelf. When I stood after retrieving the object, I hit the display on one side, and all of the bells slid onto the floor. Hundreds of broken pieces intermingled with each other in a way that we could not repair any of them. We swept them up and threw the bits away. It was an unfortunate event, but accidents happen.

Sometimes things are so broken that they do not seem fixable. Situations, friendships, and marriages can get out of control. We plan and adjust, but we find no remedy. Things can happen that are not part of our plans. We look at the big picture of things and see what looks impossible deciding to throw it all away.

As I rewind things in my head, I realize there are reasons I could not fix those bells. The same reason those impossible situations get tossed aside. It is a lack of patience or willingness to try. Gathering and dividing the hundreds of pieces for each bell would take an enormous amount of time. Using the correct amount of glue on every chip and crack without making a mess takes a skill that I undoubtedly do not possess. Touching up any paint with the exact shade to bring it back to its original condition is best left to someone who knows the difference between maroon and burgundy.

To me, the task of repairing them is overwhelming. However, some people fix things that seem not to be reparable. They are extremely patient. They have steady hands. They have experience and knowledge. They are extremely expensive, as well. Someone can fix anything if they are willing to take the time. How would those bells be brought back to life as a collectible? One small piece at a time. You cannot rush the process. Just like a broken relationship, it may take years to fix, but it would be worth the effort. The problem is we do not want to take the time. It is so much easier to toss things aside regardless of the cost.

I discovered something else in my life. You cannot fix something that is not broken. No one could reassemble the pieces if they were not separated.  They could be changed, maybe even improved, but not fixed. I have never brought my car to the shop and said fix it without something being wrong.

I do not know anyone who does not have something broken in their life. People have broken minds, emotions, spirits, and bodies. We all need repair in some part of our lives. Even those that seem to have it all together have something wrong. Some hide those areas very well. We need to quit hiding those things and begin to take the time to mend them. It takes time, patience, and willingness. Sometimes healing wounds are painful, so we ignore them. We learn to live with the pain. If we just pressed through, restoration can take place.

Sometimes we do not know where to go for help. We do not know who to trust. There is only one that I can genuinely depend on and know can restore. That is God himself.  Two things I know about God: He loves you, and he can do anything. He has proved those to me over and over again. Go to him. He is willing to help if you are willing to trust him.

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."