Brokenness: It's In Your Genes

I will try to break it to you gently - you came a little broken.

I am not perfect. By now, you have probably guessed you aren't either.

Fixing broken things isn't always easy.
Especially if everything falls apart at once.

Many times, at our house, anyway, appliances break down in threes. Or any variety of common human inconveniences that come in such untimely ways.

We can usually fix those. Until we can't. Not everything that breaks can be fixed. Or we try and fix them improperly. Have you ever broke a knife because you couldn't find the screwdriver? (asking for a friend!)

But I didn't come here to tell you how many ways there are to fix your favorite chair. When you have found the best restaurant in town for mouth-watering burgers, do you keep that a secret? If you found a cure for cancer, would you only use it to cure your own? Would you tell no one?

Like it or not, we are living in a world of brokenness. Pain, sorrow, trouble, disease, anger, distrust, dissatisfaction, ungratefulness, hatred and pretty much every vile thing you can think of, that has happened and will happen again. It surrounds us every day, infiltrating our very souls. Perhaps, it only happens to others, you think. I'm not so bad, you think.

- I'm basically a good person... -Everyone has a little good inside, right?... -I've never done anything that bad... -I try to do my best... -What if you tried just a little harder?... -What about all those wonderful things I have done?... -That promotion I worked so hard to get?... -Have you even read my resume?...

ALL THOSE LITTLE THINGS WE LIKE TO TELL OURSELVES, when deep down inside you know there has to be more than this.

But it all started in that very first garden. Paradise. You probably remember the story. God finished creating the earth, plants and animals, the first man and woman,
- "And God saw everything that was made, and behold, it was very good." - Genesis 1:31

The very first humans to walk the earth, surrounded by perfect beauty and magnificent creatures we could only wish to have lounging in our backyard. Simple instructions to eat fruit anywhere in the garden, keep watch over the animals, enjoy life and multiply. Who wouldn't want those instructions from your boss?

"Ok, people, listen up! New digs, new rules. You can go anywhere you like, eat anything you want, keep as many pets as your wife wants, and make lots of mini-me's."

"Ooh, sounds great boss! Thanks for the backyard bounty! What are you gonna do now that you are all done creating?"

"I will be right here - where I Always Have Been, Always Am, and Always Will Be."

"But boss, can't we see you anymore? Are you coming back? We like our walks through the park with You."

"I will return in the evening. Just remember, do not eat from that tree in the middle of the garden. That tree is forbidden. No questions, just leave it alone. You have the whole place to explore, go check it out! Tell me what you find when I get back. See you later, dear children!"

Just like a small child, left alone in the kitchen with a cookie jar.

We forgot Daddy is coming right back.

They thought just a little bite wouldn't spoil their appetite.

How wrong they were. How sorry they were. How many multitudes of humans have suffered because of one man's choice? They multiplied alright. For every human carries with them the genes of their ancestors. Broken begets broken, and another broken soul must be mended.

You might wonder, what if my brokenness is too deep? What if I am too broken, so broken no one would want me? What if all the pieces can't be replaced? What if my brokenness can not be fixed this side of eternity?

Brokenness is never easy.

What do we do with ALL our brokenness?

Everyone is looking for a hero to rescue them. What about those who spend their lives rescuing others? There are many heroes in this world. Soldiers, policeman, firemen, the countless men and women who fight for our freedom daily, laying their life on the line to protect us, some survive their battles and carry the scars of brokenness, while the rest of us unflinchingly live out our lives never knowing their pain, whether it is a visible loss or fighting a war within.

They signed up for this, knowing full well the high cost they might have to pay. Being broken so that others may be free. But it is never easy.

In the garden, a seed must be planted in order to have a new crop. You won't be eating a sweet, juicy watermelon for the picnic if you just tear open the packet of seeds and expect a 20 pound melon to appear. No, you must dig into the fresh, crumbling, broken dirt and plant the seed. Add a little water, sunshine, and time, then after the original seed has died, it will break open and release the life within. That little broken seed has brought forth new life, many fold. If you are a good gardener and feed your soil with the proper nutrients, you may have ten watermelon to enjoy! But it wasn't easy.

Because of Adam and Eve's first fatal choice to disobey their heavenly Father, brokenness has permeated our world. Thorns jab and scratch us as we inhale the glorious scent of a spring rose. Weeds suffocate our perfectly manicured lawns. Giving birth is not on a woman's list of fun things to do. Death and destruction are everywhere we turn.

Fixing the broken is never easy. It wasn't easy when Jesus died on the cross, to repair our broken lives.

Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam,
everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. -1 Corinthians 15:22