Recently my husband and I have been watching a documentary
series called “The Repair Shop” in which a team of expert craftspeople restore
items which members of the public bring in for repair. All of these items are very
valuable to their owners, not necessarily of great monetary value but for what
they represent- often a relationship with a person.
I particularly enjoy watching the ceramics expert, Kirsten
Ramsay, meticulously repair items. Someone will bring in e.g. a porcelain bowl
shattered into pieces and she will carefully place them back together, bond
them and paint over the cracks, filling in the painted design where it has been
erased.
Often when the recipient views the final result there will
be words to the effect of “This looks better than before!” and “I can’t tell
where it was broken!” or “I never dreamed it could look this good again.”
If a human can do this with a piece of pottery, what can God
do with a broken relationship? Marriages in particular can be shattered,
seemingly beyond repair, especially by infidelity. Friendships can be shattered
by jealousy, gossip and a host of other reasons. Families can be torn apart by infighting.
Business relationships can be ruined by poor decisions. Something valuable is
lost.
I’m not suggesting all relationships can be mended, indeed
in some cases the appropriate action is to sever ties. However in many cases
broken relationships can be repaired, and I believe it brings glory to God when
we resist the devil’s attempts to break what God has instituted for good.
Take marriage for example. Marriage is the strongest human
relationship, designed by God for a man and woman to become “one flesh”
(Matthew 19:4-6), for mutual support and comfort and for producing Godly
children. Marriage is also a reflection of the love relationship between Christ
and His church.(Ephesians 5:,25-32, 2 Corinthians 11:2). A marriage ceremony is
often a time when couples make promises not only to each other but to God. A
Christian marriage is always a three-way relationship between God and a husband
and wife both individually and as a couple. As such it can be a great witness
for God. As such it is also a target for Satan to harm and destroy it.
I believe then, that even when a relationship is shattered,
it can be mended. Too often we throw away what can and should be saved. Just as
the owners of the articles in the Repair Shop needed an expert to repair them,
so we may need the help of a qualified Christian counsellor to work in
conjunction with God, the great Restorer. Never forget that God’s Holy Spirit,
the “Parakletos” – the “One who comes alongside” will be with you to instruct
and guide you in the way you should go.
God’s glue is amazing. His strength and power can pick up
the pieces and put them together again. He can clean away the grime, leaving a
true picture of what was there before. Forgiveness and mercy can fill in the cracks.
He will fill with comfort and blessings where there were gaping wounds. There will be new pieces to replace the old. He
will apply His artistry to completely rejuvenate what was taken away. His work
is not a patch-up. His is a divine restoration.
Yes, it would have been better if the damage had not
occurred in the first place. But some things are valuable and deserve to be
held on to. The end result is a credit to the One who fixes.One thing I am absolutely convinced of is that when we make a decision to try to restore a broken relationship God is pleased and it brings glory to Him.
It’s easy when we see broken relationships to take the world’s
view – it doesn’t matter, toss it out, move on. Divorce, feuds, cliques and
family strife surround us. They feature heavily in the media. Sadly, they can occur
in churches too. To my shame in the past I have been guilty of feuding within a
church instead of seeking unity. As Christians we are called to be different in
outlook. We are blessed by God when we are peacemakers, when we pray for
reconciliation and restoration of broken marriages, partnerships, friendships
and families.
Isaiah
43:19
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it
springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and
rivers in the desert.”
Revelation
21:5
“And he who was seated on the throne said,
“Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these
words are trustworthy and true.’”
This antique clock was sitting on a doily on a cupboard. Our cat leapt up, missed her footing and clawed the doily, resulting in cat, doily and clock hurtling to the floor. The cat was unharmed, the clock case shattered into many pieces. My husband lovingly and painstakingly glued it together again, sealed and polished it. Now it's hard to tell that it was ever broken. The cat lived a long and happy life afterwards.
