God takes the Broken...

In the store the shelves are lined with produce...fruit and vegetables. All laid out in a well though out organized manner. Attention is placed upon the color, the size, the variety. Every morning and throught out the day worker's hands sort things. The hands and the eyes coordinate and look for bruised and broken produce. They are picked through and at any sign of soft "bad spots" the piece of food is through away. Tossed in to a box. Set out to be forgotten.

Bruised Necartines and peaches. Too soft to sell.

Tomatoes with squishy sides or bruises.

Partly moldy onions.

Broken

Unwanted

Thrown away

Yet when cut in to and eaten the nectarines and peaches are sweet as candy. The juices run down the chin of the eater. When ready to be thrown away, they are actually the sweetest. They taste the best. I cut around the bruise and get the best part.

The tomatoes when cut and sliced with the "bad spot" put in the composter, they made the best sauce. Chunky tomatoes and the part of the onion that isn't moldy. The piece of zuchinni cut apart from the part unable to be eaten. All added together and cooked for an hour on low heat. The flavors meld together and the taste is savory.

The produce that is bruised and broken sit on the self....passed over...pushed aside....left to mold. One person picks it up...sees the good part and not the bad. Knows it can be used and saved. Knows it is the sweetest in its brokenness. Knows the good will ooze out in the sweet juicy taste of the fruit.

Our faith sometimes fractured and broken by life...the bruises and "bad spots"...it doesn't seem to fit together. A gap...inside it is the rock...the thing that stands in the way...this rock...whatever it is...is the broken, unwanted piece...

Then Christ...came in and saw the brokenness...the bruises...the "bad spots" and chose to not pass it by...but pick it up and see the sweetness...the abundant flavor that others may not see...not even the fruit itself...the bruise is cut off...it is removed and the flavor and the beauty of the fruit is restored...the flavor is so sweet. The meal that is made feeds many...when the "bad parts" are cut off...the best part of the fruit is revealed. But without the brokeness how would we search for the sweet flavor? We would only choose the good things...and sometimes the good things are not ready to eat...they are too firm, not ripe enough, not ready, bitter...they need time to sit and become fruit ready to eat.

Broken

Unwanted

Thrown away

Yet it is the sweetest, juiciest, and most abundant in flavor...

God removes the bruises of life...allow Him.

God restores the broken.

He loves the unwanted.

He redeems the thrown away.

A meal is made with the remenants of what looked unwanted...that look as if it wasn't useful...that wasn't pretty...an abundant, sweet, lovely meal. It nourished and filled up the person who was willing to accept it as good.