Theological Thoughts for Thursday

“We don’t cry over broken dishes, we cry over broken people.”

Two days before my sister’s wedding we were picking up some candies from the home of an older adult in our congregation. Rebecca, two or three days after having her gall bladder removed, managed to get out of the vehicle with the SUV still in drive. Rebecca, Kay Magnuson, and I all watched as the large vehicle slowly rolled toward Kay’s garage door.

The garage door was demolished, and our large SUV just missed Kay’s car parked inside her garage. Rebecca immediately broke down in tears; as this was most assuredly the straw that broke the camels back.

Kay hobbled over to her and gently said, “As I always told my children, we don’t cry over broken dishes, we cry over broken people.”

I leave shortly for a year in South Korea. I’m dealing with the emotional issues of leaving behind all of my STUFF. I have a house full of stuff. Some of it good and valuable, some of it useless junk, but it’s still MY STUFF.

I’ve amassed a house full of beautiful furniture, most of which I am selling at bargain basement prices. Although I have sold what feels like hundreds of books, I still have hundreds more. I don’t want to get rid of some of the stuff until I actually leave; why give up my TV now when I still need it for a few weeks.

I have paintings and frames that I love and want to keep, but I obviously can’t take them with me.

I don’t know exactly what I’m doing with my cat. I think Vassya is going to live with his grandparents, but there’s a lot of logistical stuff to deal with.

Some days I feel that I’m sitting in a rubbage pile of broken dishes … and I just need to keep reminding myself that

“We don’t cry over broken dishes, we cry over broken people.