Damaged Goods

God truly puts special people in our lives when we need them.

Yesterday, I was blessed by a visit with Prof. Blanco here on campus.

Before I begin, don’t get me wrong, my counselor Dina is wonderful. But, she is not a Pastor. And I need much spiritual guidance right now.

I set up a meeting with Prof. Blanco and I’m still processing and using everything he told me.  

He shared this verse from Isaiah 42:3- “A bruised reed he will not break, 
   and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”

Right now… I’m a “damaged good”… one of God’s precious creations is not in good shape. At least, my health is not in good shape.

Professor Blanco explained that reeds were used to make things like wicker furniture. If a reed has a slight bruise, when it’s bent to make something, it snaps and breaks.

Most people who worked with reeds would have thrown a piece like that away.

Not God. Right now, I’m a bruised reed. And he’s not going to break me. He has another purpose for the bruised reed.

Have you ever had the candle at Christmas that is on it’s last end of the wick and ready to come apart?

Some people like to trade those in for another candle, some even throw those candles away.

But what the candle really needs is extra support and care. God doesn’t toss or refuse the smoldering wick. Instead, He takes extra care to wrap his hands around the flame to prevent it from going out by a wind or breeze.

He gently holds and slowly moves along with the smoldering wick.

Right now, I’m a smoldering wick. I’m not burning as brightly as God designed. But He’s not casting me aside. He’s gently nurturing me back to being a strong wick.

 This reminds me of a story I heard about a woman in a supermarket. She saw a section in the store marked “Damaged Goods”- she went and found a tattered can, label removed, and scarred and beaten up.

She purchased the can, not knowing what was inside.

She came home and pried open the can with her can opener.

To her surprise, she found delicious peaches inside- tasty, her favorite.

The outside of the can meant nothing about what was hidden deep inside.

Right now, the fog of depression is so thick that you have to look past all of the cloudiness to see the “real” me- but I’m still hanging in there, and even though I’m tattered and worn down by this illness, I’m still full of goodness and God’s grace and mercy.

My damage isn’t defining me. Rather, it is refining me.

This isn’t my story- it’s a part of my story. Nobody goes through life unscarred.

Thank you, God, for speaking through Prof. Blanco to reach me.