okay so its unfair, I was unsuspecting and totally not prepared for the message You brought to me this morning. The question reverberated as much as their heart pounding song offered the very simple question, ”Why does it take so much pain for me to see?” It stopped me from what I was prepared to do and set me on to searching the lyrics of Your faithful Barlow Girl’s, “Song for the Broken”.

What I thought I had heard, indeed I had, only amplified to even greater portions. Of course I am not sure that I can offer any hard clad advice on how to answer the question. Everyone I encounter endeavors to the same effect. We all seem never to let Jesus handle situations in our lives from step one. We all are hell bent on providing our own vehicles for transformation, which we fail, time and again to set our hearts to the Lord’s will in situations.

The song says it with such wisdom, “we have perfected deceit”, thinking we can overcome the obstacles and not stumble on the ways of our world. Everyone faces situations which we try to overcompensate for, your child needs some discipline (dicipling) and instead of offering that, we fall to traps of our own failures, guilt, trust, and our failure to love. We become angry at the imposition it causes for us, when we have to forego our own desires to tend to the needs of others (children, parents, friends and coworkers alike). We mask our disappointment and our anxieties, failing to even be truthful to ourselves, as pride and ego cause false bravado.

Because of extraneous pressures, we further complicate what we do, wanting to provide the best solutions for the original problems. We incense over things not being done our way, not always because we are right but as often because we don’t want someone else to be. The problem gets bigger and bigger and morphs into something not even close to the original, more complicated and contrived then it ever needed to be. What began as a labor of love has turned into a chapter of its own devising, causing pain and discomfort far beyond the necessary.

Sometimes these discomforts perpetuate into years of distress, we remember that we are mad, but can’t pinpoint why, so strong is the urge to mask our inadequacies. The song sings, “cause pride has not let me say, I am the broken, I am the bruised, I am the poor ones, I have been used.”

The answer to the songs, and to the bands question comes in the form of another. “If strength is only found when I am on my knees, why is it so hard to show that I am weak?” I understand the drive in all of us not to show forms and signs of weakness, I have that drive inside myself. The logic in the solution is undeniable, but yet we still struggle to comprehend. No one likes to appear defeated, beaten down by the problems of life, but still we prefer to be driven to our knees before we seek preventive measures.

The Gospel tells us in Matthew 11:28-30 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

If the end result of the weight of this world is being driven to our knees, why wait? If the hurt and disappointment, frustration and chaos of our lives will eventually bring us before Christ Jesus, why can’t we think of these things before we fall, before a day, week or years make it impossible for reconciliation? Luke 12:31 says, “steep yourself in God reality, God initiative, God provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met……” Amen!