Lent #29

John 12:24-26

I'm so much like my grandpa. I loved going to his house and his workshop. There were always piles of things he was working on: mowers, contraptions, bicycles, lawn tractors, etc. There were engine parts, wheels, a wood pile, and coffee cans filled with nuts and bolts, gears, fasteners and many with miscellaneous interesting things. Grandpa didn't throw out much, because he was always fixing things and creating things out of the parts he collected (and out of the parts of the things he couldn't fix).

Most of the things in his workshop came in broken.

They left repaired.

But not just repaired, they were bettered. You see, Grandpa was an engineer. Not by education, but naturally. He was gifted. He understood machines and could diagnose problems just by listening. And nothing came into his shop that he didn't improve on in some way. He would increase an engines power and efficiency, make a mower more productive by changing the shape of its blade, or sometimes just adding things like paint or adornments that simply made it look cooler. He'd machine, weld, cut, bore, and tweak it until it worked...better than new!

I didn't realize it at the time, but my Grandpa Eiler taught me a powerful lesson over and over. It's probably why I collect things, electronics, miscelleneous parts that are broken or left over, taking what doesn't work and try to make something out of it. (and I realize more and more that I didn't get the engineering gene though!)

“I assure you that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it can only be a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit."

Crush a grain of wheat and it can be used to make something else.

Plant a grain of wheat and it can produce more.

Either way it has to be broken to be useful.

It's true too, that all of us are broken, and we can still be useful, usually because of our brokenness! Especially when we put ourselves into a masters hands who can reengineer us and use our brokenness to do something else, something more.

God doesn't see broken people just like my Grandpa didn't see broken machines. God sees potential and usefulness in creative ways. Broken people are not good for nothing, they are good for something divine!

And that includes you!

Prayer: Gracious God, there are many parts of our lives that are not functioning the way they should or how we would like. Whether we've made mistakes or simply lack abilities, we feel broken and useable in many ways. Show us how we are useful and valuable in your eyes; how our brokenness can produce much fruit for your kingdom. Amen.

Peace ><>
Pastor Chris