Years ago, I heard someone say, “Life is fragile, handle with prayer”.  I have come to understand that better and better every day of my life.  I have especially learned this truth as I have experienced the newness of life in my grandchildren.  I had forgotten how fragile children are in body, mind and spirit.  Several years ago, as I was holding and feeding my granddaughter, Madyson, I was once again reminded of the fragility of life and how completely dependent that small child is upon someone to attend to her every need.  At the same time, I was mesmerized by the light of new life in her eyes and her little voice making all sorts of attempts to communicate with me.  Eyes that are bright and expectant, literally shining up at me.

I like to think in the same terms when I think of us as God’s children.  Just as Madyson reflects new life given to her through her mother and father, so we are to be a reflection of our Heavenly Father’s life given to us through His Son Jesus Christ.  And just as Madyson is fragile in every way, we, too are fragile in every way.  When life comes at us hard, we hurt.  When things don’t work out quite the way we like, we complain.  And when death comes knocking at our door, we most often succumb to its call.  We are fragile.  We are breakable.

On the other hand, how often does life come to us and we overcome?  How often does life threaten to break us and yet we merely bend?  How often do we seem to cheat the very hand of death to survive and express our praise to God for His unending mercy and grace?  Truly we are but fragile vessels.  But, because of God’s mercy we have been given this most incredible gift that enables us to be strong not in our own power, for surely, we would break and die.  Rather, we are strong in the power of God who empowers us to even cheat death before His calling and timing into eternity.

I must admit, however the light of His Presence is sometimes muted or dimmed by the broken pieces of this vessel. His power to overcome sometimes seems late in coming and my body lies wounded, my emotions are shattered, and my spirit is broken.  His light struggles to reach the outside world around me as the broken pieces of life are piled around me threatening to quench the light.  But, every time...I mean every time, He comes to my rescue when I cry out to Him.  And without fail, when I look back on the chapters of life, I see that even when the piles of my broken life were high walls of darkness His light was shining through toward me.  As I followed His light He led me through the brokenness, healed my hurts and sorrows and restored His light in me to continue to reflect His light to others.  Praise God for His love and understanding and power to heal, restore, and strengthen for the journey!
Are you looking through the pieces of your life longing for the light of His Presence to be restored in your heart?  You need but reach out in prayer to Him.  He will come restore wholeness to brokenness.  He will restore light for darkness.  He will once again be the light shining through you to a broken world that has yet to accept Him.  Seek Him and He will be found

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” second Corinthians 4:7  (NIV)

With Permission:

Pastor Roger Huff

Renew Church, Waco, Texas