Broken Bottles

Ever broken something in your life, like a glass or a plate? During college I had my far share “golf clap” breakages as a buffet waiter. One particular moment still sticks in my memory like epoxy. I don’t remember what we were doing or why we were going into the local supermarket, but for some reason my dad and I walked in a Safeway that fateful day. He sent me, a 6 year old boy, down the pop isle (Soda isle for your eastern’s). 30 years ago plastic was not as widely used in society as it is today and so 2 liters came in glass bottles. (Aging myself—I know)

So, I am searching for the bargain Coke and once I find it I reach out and grab 2 liters of something that was too heavy for me to carry. Trying my hardest to carry a slippery and heavy bottle of pop (errr…soda) I got about 10 feet down the isle before it slipped through my hands and shattered on the floor. I was frightened, terrorized and frozen because my parents always told me “you break it you buy it!” I looked and no one saw, yes FREE! All I have to do is walk away from the mess. As I made my way to the end of the isle there was my dad coming back from the other side of the store. BUSTED or so I thought; in the end the famous “Clean up on isle 10” was heard over the loud speaker and somebody else cleaned up my mess. Somebody else paid for the pop and I was saved from punishment.

Our relationships in life are much like that bottle, often too heavy to carry, yet we still try to do it alone. And when they shatter and break all over the floor our first reaction is to hide. The mess is so big often we don’t know what to do in order to clean up our own relationship isles. So the Holy Spirit calls over the loud speaker, “Clean up in Pastor Paul’s life” and Jesus rolls around the corner with his mop bucket and cleans up the shattered mess.

By the way, my dad asked me “Son why did you try to carry that bottle?” And that is what your heavenly Father asks you today, “Why are you trying to carry something you can’t carry, let me handle it.”

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30)

What are you carrying today that is too heavy, release them to the Father before you drop them and cause a big mess!