Broken and Bent

 by Macy Johnson

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

(Psalm 34:18 NIV)

 

Something was wrong with an old crown on a back tooth. A sharp edge was poking into my cheek. The irritation distracted me from routine tasks and absorbed my thoughts. I googled “what to do about sharp edges on teeth.” It was suggested I smooth it with a nail file. I tried that with little luck, since the crown was at least thirty years old and crafted out of metal, not softer porcelain.

 

After a month of agitation and pain, I decided to make an appointment with my dentist. He explained, “You broke the crown and bent one side of it outward, so the sharp edge at the break rubs the inside of your cheek.” Only a metal crown would break and bend outward like that. My dentist was able to temporarily bend the broken piece back into place. The bent piece later broke off before I received a replacement crown. Delayed relief!

 

Sometimes I feel like that old, worn out crown on my tooth. After years of living in this body, I often feel broken and bent out of shape. My spirit suffers under the heavy, consistent pounding of life on me, like my jaw on my damaged tooth.

 

Every morning I pray, “Lord, please break me, melt me, mold me, fill me, use me today for your glory.” I want God to be in control of my life, but things don’t always go the way I hoped they would. He reminds me broken things on this planet aren’t meant to last, but are miraculously repurposed according to His perfect will.

 

I give Jesus all my broken pieces and trust Him to restore them for His glory. I hope you will, too!