June 2010

“The sacrifice You want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise.”

I’m a fan of Trader Joe’s and on most occasions that I frequent this establishment, I find nestled in the back corner of the store, a small stand where they faithfully serve a “surprise of the day”. You see, a friendly lady distributes to each passer-by, delectable morsels that she has prepared for patrons to taste; recipes gleaned from the shelves of Trader Joe’s products. On this particular day, as I made my dash to the rear of the store to collect my treat, she was enthusiastically serving mini-toastette crackers topped with bruschetta (an Italian tomato topping with fresh basil and garlic, for all you cooking connoisseurs). Mmm-m, crunch, crunch—now THAT really hit the spot, and teased my taste buds! Convinced of continued enjoyment at home, I tossed a package of mini-toastettes and a jar of mouth-watering bruschetta into my cart and proceeded to the checkout.

Several days later as I was rummaging for something to munch, I settled upon the toastettes and bruschetta, remembering the delightful crunch and burst of flavor they offered. As I opened the package of crackers, I was instantly dismayed. After inspection, I determined that about 95% of the crackers were broken into halves and thirds, few vaguely even resembling a whole and complete “toastette”. My enthusiasm for this snack was dimmed, but my hunger pangs were determined. I carefully assembled the topping on the mangled sliver of cracker and popped it into my mouth. Despite its’ broken and shattered condition, it still tasted WONDERFUL! I then considered how the Lord delights in us, when we acknowledge Him and bow before Him with all of our “brokenness”. Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, and broken joys are His specialty. He sees the potential within us, and with His unlimited love and grace, restores wholeness. Thank you Lord, for putting the pieces of my Humpty Dumpty life together again!

Broken, Yet Made Whole in Him,

Carl & Bonnie Friedrich

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