Picking Up the Pieces

It's early in the morning ... 1:32am. I can't sleep. Too much caffeine tonight. But after being in the dark, I can barely focus my eyes on this computer screen. But God has surely been speaking to my heart this night. Been thinking on "loss."

Just made a trip to visit my precious grandmother. I love her so much. She can barely hear me now, and she is afraid to let go of her savings to buy a good hearing aid. And her knee hurts so badly; that is all she can think or talk about. She needs to talk about it; and I'm grateful to listen.

But change is hard for me.

I had my hair cut today ... a good 5-6 inches taken off. I miss it already. My daughter, Katelyn, loves my long hair, and she was not happy with the haircut. I didn't want that much taken off, but nevertheless, it is gone. And I didn't say a word. When Katelyn looked at me, I was reminded of the novel/movie Little Women - when Joe has her hair cut for money; her little sister Amy sees her, and says, "Joe, your one beauty?!" Loss. As we were leaving the hair salon, Katelyn opened up her purse and revealed to me that she had picked up several locks of my hair and stashed them away as a keepsake. Made me feel loved. I mean something to her; even my hair means something to her. Precious. Her prayer request tonight: "And God, please let Momma's hair grow back."

My preparations this week for my Sunday school lesson is on giving. Actually ... stewardship. When paid, 10% to God/church, 10% saved, and the rest is used for needs ... but shouldn't be used all on "us." That left over part should be used to give to others, too. Japan. Friends going through difficult times. People who are shattered ... wounded. People experiencing "loss."

I love the words to this song:

Give Them All To Jesus

Are you tired of chasing pretty rainbows
Are you tired of spinning round and round
Wrap up all the shattered dreams of your life
And at the feet of Jesus lay them down

Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, broken toys
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
And He will turn your sorrow into joy

He never said you would only see sunshine
He never said there would be no rain
He only promised us a heart full of singing
That's the very thing that once brought pain

Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, broken toys
Give them all give them all give them all to Jesus
And He will turn your sorrow into joy

Loss. What can we do to help others? What can we give? Food, money, encouragement, toys, clothes, the car we no longer use, prayers, a listening ear. We all have shattered dreams. Pain. Broken hearts. No one escapes. But when we know Jesus ... He is the mender, the healer.

God continues day after day to pick up my broken pieces. I often hear people questioning if God really loves them, but the flip side is this: how can we show God how much He means to us - how much we love Him? By giving just a fraction of what He has given to us. We can't be everything to everyone, but we can help others pick up their broken pieces as the Lord leads. Your love for them will be revealed, and they will also see that they mean something to us.

 "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." Jim Elliot

A fallen/broken tree at my grandmother's house. Who would have thought it could be such a beautiful place?



My sweet friend Amy just reminded me of something. My hair probably means so much to Katelyn because she is a cancer survivor. Thank you, Amy, from one surviving family to another.