Welcome to "Tuesday Morning"—always a handy guide to help turn a good day into a great day.

 

This week's "TM" is entitled, "Scraps."  "Scraps of what?" you ask. It refers to whatever is left in a person's life when it is broken and bleeding. I borrowed the title from a chapter in Glaphre Gilliland's book, When the Pieces Don't Fit--God Makes the Difference. (Prayerlife Ministries, Bethany, OK, 2004).

 

There are probably dozens of people you know by name and by face that have experienced brokenness in their lives, but they would never tell you. You ask them how they are, and they reply, "Fine." Some are even more expressive. They reply, "Fantastic." But "fine" and "fantastic" are words—words that are intended to dismiss any deeper discussion. Over and done. Next. Out the door.

 

Some of these folk don't have a clue about the good news waiting around the corner for them, but no one offers to point them that way. Then someone steps forward and carries the conversation to a point of spiritual discovery. Then their testimony can be heard in these words by Gloria Gaither:

 

"Shackled by a heavy burden,

'Neath a load of guilt and shame.

Then the hand of Jesus touched me,

And now I am no longer the same."

 

Or these words, by the same author:

 

"I will serve Thee because I love Thee;

You have given life to me.

I was nothing before You found me,

You have given life to me.

Heartaches, broken pieces,

Ruined lives are why you died on Calvary.

Your touch was what I longed for,

You have given life to me."

 

If you know of someone whose life has crashed and burned, this week's epistle is for them. Continue reading whenever you are ready, and then pass it on.

 

Tom Barnard

A Senior Encourager

________________________________________________________________

 

Scraps

Tom Barnard

 

 always thought of scraps as throw-away stuff—extra pieces of things that were useless. I had never thought of scraps as things that could be salvaged, re-used, or re-cycled. Scraps were scraps. Then I read this story in a book by Glaphre Gilliland, When the Pieces Don’t Fit…God makes the Difference.

 

I had tried to time it so I would always arrive at the car wash on Highway 66 when the place was empty. Today I’d made it! As I attempted to control the gadget spewing water on my car, I noticed Stan sitting by himself. Stan was the part-time operator of this self-help car wash. After I finished spraying my car, I sat down on the bench by this small, seventy-six-year-old man who didn’t shave or bathe very often.

            “What’s wrong, Stan?”

            “Seeing you just reminded me, that’s all,” he mumbled, never looking up. “Must be nice to be so young and have all of life ahead of you.”

            “Stan, what do you wish were ahead of you?” I asked. Still looking at his feet, he murmured so softly I barely understood him, “I don’t know…some relief…God.”

            Stan shuffled his feet in the gravel. His worn-out shoes matched his overalls. There was such sadness in him as he told me about the scraps of his past. “I’ve heard all that stuff about God forgiving people. But He could never forgive all that I’ve done.” His voice trembled with his anguished conclusion.

            I knew how the scraps of our past could gouge our hopes for the future. But I knew something much more important—I knew God could heal scraps, because that’s what He had done for me. Secure in God’s willingness to accept Stan’s scraps, I asked, “Stan, do you know the story of what happened when Jesus was on the cross?”

            He nodded, still staring at the ground. “Stan,” I continued, “people yelled and screamed awful things at Jesus. Yet even as they were crucifying Him, he prayed, ‘Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.’ Do you believe that really happened?”

            “Oh, I believe the story of Jesus, all right.”

            “Stan, why don’t you let God guide your thoughts for a minute. Think of the worst thing you ever did; you don’t need to tell me what it is…Can you think of it?”

            “Yes, but I wish I could forget it.”

            “Stan,” I asked, slipping my arm around him, “can you think of Jesus walking into that scene? With the same compassion He had at the cross, Jesus says to you: ‘Stan, is this thing you’re remembering worse than nailing me to a cross? Than killing me? If I could forgive that, won’t I forgive you?’

            “Stan, this loving and forgiving God has His arms open to you. God is pleading with you; ‘I’ve waited for you such a long time. I want you for My very own son.’”

            This little man, who was crumpled over with grief, sobbed out his acceptance to God. A couple of cars pulled in and I went to move my car out of the way.

            In the weeks that followed, the people at the car wash were surprised by Stan’s offers to help them. This clean-shaven man with the neatly combed hair just didn’t seem like the Stan they knew. It was his smile that looked most foreign. But then…they didn’t know. Stan had gathered up all the old scraps …and a loving God had forgiven them.

 

There is a wonderful promise in Isaiah 1:18. Here is how it reads in the New Living Translation:

 

“Come, let’s argue this out,” says the Lord.  “No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as wool. If you will only obey me and let me help you….”

 

Perhaps you know of someone with a past they would like to forget, but can’t. You can be like Glaphre was to Stan. You can point them toward a loving God. Tell them this story. Pray that God will let you be the one who introduces them to Jesus. He is waiting for the opportunity to forgive them. Today.