When we come to the end of life, as we walk the valley of the shadow of death, events from our lives crystallize in perfect clarity. The good times become all that much sweeter, and the bad times all the worse. What do we do with that contradiction? What do we do at the end of a life filled with joy and pain? Some choose only to remember the good, and never mention the failures. Others harden themselves to the pain of loss by choosing to keep fresh the painful memories, blocking out the happy times. What do we do when those we love are not perfect?
I want to present a different option, one that can embrace the joy while recognizing the pain. That option involves looking at our own lives and seeing that we too are people with strengths to serve the world, and faults that can cause pain. We all are unique creations of a loving god whose desire is to bless us and others with the good gifts he has given. We also find ourselves in a fallen world with fallen natures that give in so readily to sin. The question of what to do with our imperfect loved ones becomes another question “what do we do with ourselves?” Thankfully, I know the answer to that question.
I know what I do with myself. I seek to honor the gifts God has given while trusting him to mend the broken places caused by my sin. I seek to rejoice in the gifts God has given me in those around me. I want to embrace and encourage them to use the talents they possess to glorify God and serve his people. I want to set them free. Free to revel in God’s goodness. Free to taste and see that God is good. And when those people fail—which they will do as people—I must trust that the God who can restore my broken places can also restore theirs. God is the healer of the broken heart. He is the one who sets the captive free. He is the creator and the redeemer of all things. He can restore you. He can soothe the pain you feel; pain caused by your sin as well as pain caused by the sin of others.
I am so thankful today that God did this for my grandfather, Lewis. Grand-dad was blessed with gifts and talents that he used to serve others. Grand-dad also had weaknesses and broken places that invited sin in the door. So we love him and we were hurt by him, but we love him. And God loves Lewis, too. He has loved him all through life, just like he loves each of us. I believe God loves Lewis now. I believe that according to his promise to make all things new, God has finally restored Lewis to the whole and complete person that he was always meant to be.
In that belief there is hope. There is hope that God will do for each of us what He has done for Lewis. And even better is the faith that God can begin that process now. We don’t have to wait for death to begin to experience healing and restoration. We don’t have to wait for heaven to experience peace and wholeness of self. I believe that God wants to heal you now, he wants to heal me now, and today is part of that process. Will you let him in to those broken places? He wants to make you whole.
