Brittleness

I was sitting at my desk, basting in the heat of my office, responding to the pile of paper and emails which had accumulated during my holidays when I was suddenly assailed. Firstly by a loud crunching noise and immediately after by a spray of plastic, dust and general debris.

I was really shocked, both by the noise and the dust and I thought that something must have crashed into the outside wall of my office – on inspection there was no damage outside and so I came back inside to find my desk absolutely covered with tiny pieces of plastic. Upon examination it finally dawned on me, and looking upwards confirmed it…my electric fan, which was sitting above my desk, had completely self-destructed and one of the fan blades had broken off and had shattered all of the others. Because this happened when the fan was going flat out, it had sent the tiny shards of plastic all over me, my computer and my desk… it was really quite exciting and I have never seen anything like it before.

The problem was caused by the fact that the fan was quite old and that it sits in a spot which gets hit by direct sun, over time the plastic became brittle and finally a small crack appeared and it was only a matter of time until it completely failed. One moment it was functioning, the next it was a dangerous ‘projectile delivery’ device.

This unexpected shower of plastic gave me an opportunity to stop and think (and an opportunity to clean up my office!). I wondered just how many times people are living on the brink of disaster without really realising it. I wonder how many relationships have cracks which are only waiting for the wrong type of stress to occur?

I wonder how many people are struggling with mental health issues, loneliness and despair but look ok on the outside but really are only a moment away from a breakdown?

Perhaps you are not aware that your own heart attitudes have grown brittle through the ‘heat’ of the issues of life which surround you?

The Bible gives us a challenge to remember

“Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23

So let’s check the status of our hearts… if there is brittleness there then there is a solution…

“I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26