Living in a throw away world
Iwanted a radio so I could lis ten to music as a young teen ager. I found an old radio in the garage that did not work. My dad told me if I could fix it, I could have it. It had vacuum tubes, so I pulled them out, took them to the local store with a tester, and found the ones that needed to be replaced. I also had to repair the electrical cord. I fixed something most people would have thrown away. I’ve always been slow to throw stuff away. When I moved to Hartselle, I located the local TV repair shop to fix my TV. I found a man that would repair my shoes when they needed to be resoled or have new heels put on. I used a local place to rebuild my alternator when it went out. None of those places are now in business.
Televisions are no longer repaired. Shoe repairs are rare. I don’t even work on my vehicles anymore because of numerous sensors. Many things in life are purposefully made to be discarded when they no longer work or function correctly.
Unfortunately, after 38 years in the pastorate, I have witnessed a “throw away” mentality creep into our lifestyles as well. People will give up on other people and businesses after just one or two unpleasant events. It even happens to folks in the church. Friendships and relationships are often ended over minor infractions and mistakes. In fact, many people leave their church over things that in the great scope of life, are equally trivial. Yet, I have witnessed the success of various individuals who most people would have given up on, but because a few folks did the hard work of forgiveness, who offered an extension of grace, and kept maintaining relationships, helped those individuals become productive, fruitful people. I know of some who are in the ministry today, even serving overseas as missionaries because people did not give up on them.
I’m so glad our Creator did not throw us away because we failed to live up to His standard, but as the Apostle Paul said, “reconciled us to Himself through Christ.” That is, He was willing to keep us and fix us. In a broken world, we need more “ministers of reconciliation”-people who will intentionally seek to bring God’s grace to everyone.
