It was one of those moments. My boys, 6 and 8, were fighting. I
had tried everything...counting to three, threatening, taking away privileges,
yelling. Nothing was working.
Finally, I picked up my hefty, six-year-old, in my final
desperate attempt to pull them apart. My eight-year-old followed us as I walked
into the kitchen.
In his hand was his lunch plate.
As my younger one flailed in my arms, his foot swung out and
knocked the plate from his brother’s hand.
“Crash!” The plate shattered as it hit the tile floor.
In a moment, the storm stopped. All eyes were looking at me,
waiting for my reaction.
React. I. Did.
But not the way I or they would have expected.
Somehow, by God’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s fruit of
self-control, I laughed, and said something like, “Well that was unexpected”.
Our attention then shifted to cleaning up the broken plate. And,
in a moment we were a cohesive team helping one another carefully clean up the
glass.
In that moment of cohesion, my heart cried out, “Thank you, God,
for broken plates.”
Sure, it was unfortunate that the plate broke. However, I had no
more tools left in my back pocket for quieting the storm that was unraveling in
my home. Do I believe God sent the broken plate?
Maybe...yes.
More importantly was the defining moment when I chose my
reaction. It could have gone very wrong. My frustration at my children could
have magnified into an outburst of anger that I would have regretted later.
I lifted up my prayer again, “Thank you, God, for broken plates”.
My simple prayer took my mind off the squall going on between my two beloved
children. And, redirected my focus on cleaning up a mess. It gave me a moment
to pause and take a deep breath.
Has there been a time in your life when a “broken plate” caused
you to stop, pause and change direction?
Maybe it was something that appeared, at the time, to be a
complete inconvenience or disruption. Or maybe it was something as serious as
an illness or broken relationship.
Is it possible that it was God’s way of redirecting you? Do you
believe God can purpose the “broken plates” in our lives for His glory? I
believe He can, in His mysterious way.
Funny thing is, now, when I am having a difficult time reasoning
with my children, I silently call up to God, “I need a broken plate”.
Do you perceive the “broken plates” in your life an obstacle or
an opportunity? Ask God today to change your perception.
“But the wisdom from above
is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good
fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace
by those who make peace” (ESV, James 3:17-18).
Newly Purposed,
About the Author: Jana Finch
