Today I listened to a preacher on a cd I had picked up in Virginia at a truckstop on my way home from my Dad’s funeral..and the message caught my eye because it was titled brokenness…so today as I’ve been out and about running errands..I decided to listen to it..and anyhow one of the things that the man began to speak on was about that little baby girl by the name of Jessica McClure…and I’m sure we all remember the story and maybe for some remember watching this whole ordeal on our tv sets…it was over in Midland, Texas…the day of October the 14th 1987…when that baby girl wondered out from her home and she fell into a well casing 22 feet below the ground and at how her mother went looking for her and finally heard her crying from the ground..to only come to understand and realize that her baby was in that well casing..so she calls the fire dept…the ambulances…police workers..and they were there working very hard trying their best to figure out what it was that they were needing to do to free this baby…so they ended up calling in the oil diggers and those men brought their equipment and began digging along side of that casing..they were going to dig down below little Jessica and come in from the side too be able to reach her..only so far down they hit solid rock..so they had to begin to use jack hammers and bust through that rock..in which case the baby dropped further down that well casing..but then a man was able to reach that baby’s body and touch her and hyperthermia had done set in…so the man tried to get her up out from there but she was stuck..so he kept crying out and yelling to the Doctor that was above them and he was saying I don’t know what to do!…and the Doctor yelled back to that man, you do whatever you have to do…even if it means breaking her…to get her freed then that is what you do..so long story short…58 hours later that baby was rescued from that cold..dark…well casing..but the point of this all is to say..that our brokenness actually brings freedom and deliverance in our lives..for the Lord uses are brokenness in great ways…for in the book of Psalms it says that the sacrifices of God are of a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart and that God will not despise them…Psalm 51:17…for when we are broken and things aren’t going our way or as planned…we begin to seek the Lord for our lives like we’ve never sought Him before…I heard a lady once say that years ago I had prayed for the Lord to heal my body..and He didn’t heal me all at once..but today 10 years later she says..I am so thankful that the Lord didn’t immediately bring healing to my life 10 years ago when I had asked Him too..but that in His wisdom He was growing my faith and my trust in Him..and so for that today I am who I am all because the Lord didn’t answer me the way that I thought He should have..but He answered the way that He knew was best for me and my life..and I wouldn’t change that for anything..because if He would have then I wouldn’t be this person that I am today…I would be someone totally different…for we think of brokenness as a bad thing..but really guys it’s not a bad thing when it comes to serving the Lord..for we draw very close to the Lord in our pains and in our woes..and when were broken as well our hearts are softened…we are pliable to be used of God, and the Lord begins to mold us and make us into what He wants for us to be…for we are a fleshly people…and we live in a broken world..and we always try to do this comparison thing with others..we always try to justify our actions to the actions of others..and says things like well thank the good Lord I’m not like such and such..but really guys if we think about it..that attitude is the wrong attitude to have..because the only person in whom we should ever compare ourselves to would be that person of Christ Jesus our Lord..for the word says that He is perfect and upright in all of His ways..Deuteronomy 32:4..for you see the bible says that we are all as unclean things..and that our righteousnesses is nothing more than filthy rags..Isaiah 64:6…it says that Isaiah took a peek at the Lord sitting on His throne and the Lord was high and lifted up and the bible says that His train filled the temple..and above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly. And one cried unto the other, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then, Isaiah said..Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts…Isaiah 6:1-5…so when we consider people and we consider who we are..I pray we always look with hearts as to the Lord and what He is and not to man and what they are..for you see guys we all are in need of the Savior..and we all are broken..so let us not get into that attitude of I’m better than they are..or what not..because we don’t compare our lives to the lives of others…but we look to Jesus and there we are to be holy for the bible says as the Lord is holy..1 Peter 1:16..we are to follow hard after God and His ways…for when we walk that way…there is never room for a self righteous spirit to reside..or a haughty one to ever take over…because were looking to our Father to help us be better and do better…for it is all of our wills to make it to heaven..and we do that by calling out and asking of the Lord to search our hearts and to try us and see if there would be any wicked way in us..Psalm 139:23..for we daily are a work in progress..and we daily do better by leaning in and walking and following hard after the Lord and His ways..denying ourselves and our will and picking up our crosses and following Jesus..Matthew 16:24..so don’t despise your brokenness for the Lord in His infinite wisdom is going to use it for your good..so whatever you do guys, please don’t grow weary in your well doing for in due season you shall reap if you faint not..Galatians 6:9..In Jesus’ name..I do ask and pray..Amen and Amen…Be blessed today my dear sweet friends and remember wherever you go and whatever you do, Be a light for our Father, Much love to you all, Mandi