To the broken person reading this blog, you are not alone. The broken mom who is hurting and feeling like you won’t make it another day by yourself. To the husband who feels inadequate and is on the verge of giving up. To the teenager sick and tired of being bullied day after day at school, you feel trapped. To the grandparent who feels you have lived a life of no significance. To the pastor’s wife who feels ashamed to ask for help. To the one who deals with memories from your past that take you to a dark place. You are not alone. No one is. We all deal with something. We all have our own circumstances to live through. But the thing to remember is that we are not alone. We are all broken in some way. But there is help. There is strength for us, hope, peace. We don’t have to put on a brave face every day, a mask to have others believe we are okay. Because if we are all honest, we all feel hurt at some point in our lives. The bible tells us in Psalms 34:18, The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. He does not leave us when we mess up, when we break, when we hit the bottom. He is right there with us.

Think about the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). He had it all. He was living the good life. But what did he do? He took his inheritance and ran away and spent every penny on things that brought him no joy. He ended up living with the pigs and eating slop. Eating slop! He decided that even being a slave in his father’s house would be better than the life he was currently living and decided to take the chance and go home again. So, arriving home, he expected to have an angry, broken father receive him and turn him away. But look at how the story ends in Luke 15:20, And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

So we see that his father was not angry, instead he was compassionate towards his son and ran to him and fell at his neck and kissed him. This is the same way our God reacts to one of us (His children) returning back to him after falling. After ignoring God, after feeling like there is no hope for ourselves. After being afraid to ask for help. God welcomes us home and begins to do a work in us. Sometimes hitting rock bottom is just what we need to do in order for us to see that we need help, we need God. I hope and pray that it doesn’t take us falling so far to realize this but sometimes, in some circumstances, that’s the way it works out. But not only do we have God, but we do have one another. There is someone out there who understands what you are going through and will be a help to you. Reaching out is so very important in order to receive help. Put the mask away and realize that we are all in this together. If you are on the receiving end of a broken person asking for help, do what you can. Give the loving advice God gives you wisdom to impart. Listen, don’t talk, just listen because sometimes that alone is the help they need. If you don’t know what to do or how to help, be helpful by leading them to someone who can.

We will all fall, all hit our breaking points, all get lost and wander away. But let us not leave each other in that broken place. Let us use what we have, the unique gifts God has given to each of us, and be a friend when a friend is needed. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all imperfect.

He gives us Roots so we can Fly. Roots and Wings.