WE HAVE TO COME BROKEN

I'm writing for Five Minute Friday and this week's prompt word is MEND. 

How do you mend a broken heart? 

You can’t.

I’ve done a lot of mending over the years, mostly men’s work clothes – men related to me and mending done in the setting of a small sewing business.  

It’s something I enjoyed doing more than altering women’s clothes, perhaps because of the challenge in it.

Men have a way of wrecking their clothes like no one else.

Their clothes are sometimes stained and smelly and in well-used condition.  

Occasionally, not very often, I would make the call that the garment was beyond repair, and it was time to invest in a new garment.   I remember on one occasion, the young man was not having it and asked for yet more patches on his well-loved shirt. 

When a garment was beyond repair, I would sometimes cut pieces off to be used for future repairs, but I have been known to throw the whole thing in the bin.

Sometimes I would have to unpick entire seams so I could get the garment onto my sewing machine and patch it properly. 

But now, I wish I knew how to mend broken hearts.   Only our good, good Father can do that. 

Only He has the know-how, the power, the understanding and the skilled gentleness for that.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.  Ps 147:3

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.  Ps 34:18 

And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”   Luke 4:17-21

Jesus came to heal people broken by the sin of others and those broken by their own sin.  

I have plenty of people in my life whose hearts are in varying degrees of brokenness, but the ones that impact me the most is seeing the brokenness in my teenage daughters.

Yesterday, my 13yo had a major meltdown.

It was over something fairly minor, but that minor thing ripped the lid off what has been bubbling away for a long time.

We talked a bit about it afterwards and have several times since.

Naming the emotions helps you understand why it’s rising so powerfully to the surface over something ‘silly’. 

Her heart is broken and mostly that manifests as anger and defensiveness.

Today she admitted being hurt and angry about the absence of a caring, consistent, protective, present and normal dad.

I think it’s the first time she’s admitted to herself that it really is bothering her.

That’s a win in itself. 

It hurts to admit your heart is broken.

Even harder to let the Father in to mend it.

That’s her next challenge.

That’s the challenge for everyone with a broken heart.

Recognise it, name it, own it - and then bring it.  

So many people recognise it, learn to name it and own it, but few bring it to the only One who can mend it.  

When we start following the Lord seriously, as she has been for the last year now, stuff starts to become obvious.  

When that happens, we can come to Him broken or we can come pretending we don’t have any problems (like the Pharisees).  

The ones who had a powerful encounter with Jesus are the ones who came broken and ready for change. 

We just need to come, broken and ready for Him to mend every part of us, as only He can do.  

 

Lord I come
Lord I thank You
For Your love
For this grace divine

Love and mercy undeserving
You gave it all
The greatest sacrifice

You were wounded for my sin
And You were bruised
For all my shame
You were broken for my healing
Only by the cross I’m saved

You’re the mender
Of the broken
To every outcast
A friend and comforter

I come boldly to Your presence
Lord I bow before Your throne
You’re my Healer
My Redeemer
You’re my hope
My life my all

You hear the cry of the broken