The Repair Shop

I have recently watched a couple of episodes of The Repair Shop on TV. In the programme, people bring family heirlooms that have seen better days to a group of experts to be restored. Battered old toys, jewellery, furniture, etc are brought in. The experts then lovingly restore the items to their former glory. At the end we see the joy on the owners’ faces as the finished article is returned to them in a condition far better than they could have imagined.

Although we might not want to admit it publicly, most of us feel at least a little broken at times. I am not referring to physical illness or injury – for which we can visit the doctor and get whatever medical treatment is available. It is when we feel broken in spirit or emotionally broken that we often don’t know where to turn.

When he walked on earth, Jesus welcomed all those who came to him admitting that they were broken. He saw people’s spiritual needs and was full of compassion for them. Many centuries earlier, King David wrote “a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51 Verse 17). David had committed both adultery and murder and had been confronted with his guilt. He came to recognise that we can know God more fully and have deeper peace when we are honest about our failings than when we try to hide them.

It may be that we feel broken because we have been wronged by others rather than because of anything that we have done. Whatever the reason – God cares about us and longs to restore us. Amazingly, it would give God great joy for us to be restored to the way that he always intended us to be.

Church is a place where this can happen. God longs to offer us forgiveness and lead us towards wholeness. If you feel broken, you are in good company – don’t think that you are alone in feeling like that. All true Christians have had to come humbly before God and admit their need of him.

You are always welcome to come to church – you may find it to be God’s repair shop for you.