Love in the Midst of Brokenness
October 26, 2021
Drake was an avid car enthusiast since he was a little child. He always wanted to go to car rallies to see the various cars that would be there. Whether classics, hot rods, muscle cars, or even just everyday sedans, he loved them all. As he grew, he began learning about how to work on cars by joining his dad whenever there would be needed maintenance on the family vehicle. By age 10, his dad already had him helping with changing the oil – his job was to loosen the oil plug, because it required him to get further under the car. His dad recognized that Drake enjoyed it. It was almost an adventure.
By the time that he was a teen, Drake could do almost any type of work on his vehicle. That is why Drake, when he turned 16, not having much money, bought the cheapest car he could purchase. He knew that it was going to take some work to get it up and running, but he did not mind and he could steadily work on it to fix it the way he wanted it.
It took him almost a full year to get the car fixed, but now it was ready to drive. He took it out for his first drive. Having checked and double-checked to ensure there were no leaks, he was ready. He lived at the end of an old dirt road where there was no traffic. The road was long and straight, so he should not have any problems with testing it out at a good operating speed. As soon as he pulled out, he accelerated quickly and found that his car had some pretty good power.
As he approached where his road emptied onto a cross-street, and being on dirt, he decided to begin slowing down. He eased off the accelerator. He began to apply the brakes slowly. However, when he pressed the brake pedal, it felt like the clutch. There was little tension there. His foot went to the floor. He knew that something was wrong. He had not bled the brakes! He began downshifting to slow the car. While it would not get him completely stopped, it would slow him enough to keep him from getting hurt too badly, as long as no other cars were comin. He wound up in the ditch and now he had more work to do to get his car running again.
I know this is a terrible story, but please hear the message. One mistake caused damage that could have been avoided. Last week, I talked about cause-and-effect. In the verses above, Adam’s mistake resulted in death for the human family and brokenness in all of creation. I wonder if any of us every really consider the damage our sin creates? Likewise, do we ever realize the depth of love God has for us, because like Drake’s car, God has fixed us the way He wanted us. Yet, instead of His mistake, our mistake left us broken. Now, in His love, He walks with us through the “garage” of life, fixing our brokenness through His Holy Spirit. Do you recognize that God loves you so much that He does not just want to get rid of you, but rather wants to work with you in the midst of your brokenness?
