What makes you mad? For some its politics, or your favorite team losing, maybe it’s your relatives, but I suffer from the demons of machines that make me crazy.
Let’s start with my weed eater. When the thread runs out and I have to replace it with more string and remember to turn the knob “clockwise.” Worse, when I pull five times, then another five and the engine won’t start. Check the gas, pull again and no start. I proceed to take a time out and work on another chore. This time grab the chainsaw to cut up a fallen tree limb. Pull once, then twice and a miracle on the fifth pull, it starts. Praise Jesus!
Now back to the weed eater. Thank God I filed the instruction manual that you only read in a crisis. It says high octane and mix with oil. Sure enough, used the wrong fuel for this machine. Found the gas can in the garage that’s labelled, “mixture for weed eater” and praise Jesus, this machine started.
But there’s the plastic container for the water conditioner that’s leaking, the CD player stops in the middle of a movie, the TV remote doesn’t always turn the channels, the tire on the mower goes flat after every cut, the gator gear box is rough and the tractor speedometer is malfunctioning. For that matter my brain is malfunctioning with all these machine breakdowns.
Of course, while I whine about my
machines that are breaking down, I get a request to see a young man who
attempted his “fifth” suicide. Then, there are the broken relationships, the
addictions and cancers that people request my prayers. Life is very fragile. So,
what does Jesus have to offer when we are going crazy inside?
At the last supper, and as he was
dying, Jesus offered his gift of peace. And what is this? It is the absolute
assurance the we are connected to the source of life in such a way that
nothing, absolutely nothing, can ever sever—not bad health, not betrayal by
someone, indeed, not even our broken machines. We are unconditionally loved and
nothing can change that. Nothing can change God’s unconditional love for us.
If that is true, then we have an
assurance of life and happiness beyond the breakdowns of our machines, the loss
of health, the betrayal of friends, the suicide of a loved one, and even beyond
our own sin and betrayals. In the end, as Julian of Norwich says, all will be
well, and all will be well, and every manner of being will be well.
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine
Friends who like me get easily frustrated with life in which everything seems
to be breaking down. We need your assurance. We live with constant anxiety
because we sense that our health, security, and relationships are fragile, that
our peace can easily disappear. We live with regrets about our own sins and
betrayals. Our peace is fragile and anxious. We need to remember Jesus’
farewell gift to us: “I leave you a
peace that no one can take from you: Know that you are loved and held
unconditionally.”
