In my husband’s family there is one specific treasured heirloom that
must be passed down through the generations. No one is quite sure of its
significance other than one generation told the next, “You must be sure to keep
this.” We are told at one time the piece belonged to a set of miniature items;
but alas, only one broken pot remains. In a family of sons and grandsons, you
can imagine the teasing and jesting that occurs over which son or grandson will
be responsible for the safe-keeping of this family treasure!
With joking aside, what saddens me is that we will never know the
significance of the item. I have so many questions! Where are all the other
pieces? How did this piece get broken? Why is it the only surviving piece? Who
made it? Where was it made? What was the cost? How many miles has it traveled
from its origin? Who were its owners? What function did it serve? What joys are
associated with this piece? What sorrows are associated with this piece? Who
treasured it? Why was it treasured?
Broken pottery. A single piece of broken pottery. The psalmist, King
David, felt like this—a single piece of broken pottery.
“Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, and my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. . . . I have become like broken pottery.” Psalm 31:9-10, 12 (NIV)
At times, the losses associated with life seem overwhelming. With the
aging process comes deterioration of mind and body. We watch helplessly as friends
and loved ones grow feeble losing the mental acuity they once possessed.
Sometimes the body grows weak with age or illness requiring constant care of
others. Sometimes the heart grows weary longing for rest. Sometimes it’s the searing
pain of loss of loved ones that weighs us down. Deep hurt. Unspoken sorrow.
There is hope. There is strength. There is mercy.
“But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands.” Psalm 31:14,15 (NIV)
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.” Psalm 31:24 (NIV)
“…the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.” Psalm 32:10 (NIV)
“We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.” Psalm 33:20-22 (NIV)
The psalmist, King David, knew his true source of comfort and hope. He
knew when he reached his lowest limits on Whom he could rely. This is still our
source of comfort and hope today. When we reach our lowest limits we cry out, “O
LORD, You are my God!”
The psalmist, King David, knew something else:
“I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4 (NIV)
No, the Lord didn’t remove all obstacles and negatives in David’s life.
The Lord didn’t reverse circumstances and return things back to “the way it
used to be.” But the Lord did something even greater—He relieved David’s fears.
I believe this is the significance of the broken pottery. There will always be
broken pottery—grief, sorrows, pain, and disappointments—in our lives. However;
when we focus on the broken pottery, we miss the greatness of God’s deliverance
from our fears.
“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:5-8 (NIV)
Respectfully written and
submitted by:
Dotty Willmon, Resurrection
Christian
