#brokenlivesmatter

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

—Philippians 2:4

If you follow me on social media, you might have read these recent posts:

6/20 – “A broken down car, a clogged drain, and a TV that won't turn on. Not a good combination when I have my 3-year-old granddaughter for a week.”

7/5 – “When you're sick and your TV is broken, what do you do?”

7/11 – “First a broken car, then a broken TV, and now a broken phone. If any of you have been trying to reach me without success, that's why. Try email. For now, my computer is working. Lol.”

I tried to infuse a little humor, but truthfully I didn’t think it was funny at all. Why was everything breaking down?

O Say, Can You See...Can You Feel, Do You Know What It Means?

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

—Psalm 33:12

I was 13 years old when I was selected to raise and lower the flag every day at the private school I attended.

Jane was my partner. She and I learned flag etiquette and the proper way to fold the U. S. flag, twice length-wise, followed by triangular folds, starting with the striped edge and ending with the stars.

I remember how I felt when I held the flag, careful not to let it drop, and when I folded it, trying to perfectly align the ends as neatly as I could. Privileged. Special. But more than that. It was something I felt with my heart. Reverence and respect. For my flag. My country. A holy moment.

But after 40+ years, there are some things I don’t remember, like the meaning behind each of the thirteen folds.

Plugged In, Charging?

Turn my eyes away from what is worthless! Revive me with your word!

—Psalm 119:37

My laptop is temperamental these days. At times it does not charge even when plugged in. I discovered the problem a few months ago when I couldn’t get the laptop to turn on. I took it to a techie, and after some troubleshooting, he diagnosed the issue and suggested that I regularly check the icon in the lower right of my screen to make sure that it says “plugged in, charging.” If it says, “plugged in, not charging,” I need to fiddle with the cord a bit until it makes the connection.

Sometimes I exhibit the same symptoms as my laptop. I appear to be plugged in, but I am not charging. I seem to be doing all the things a Christian should, yet I don’t feel energized. What is happening?

The Right Tools for the Job: Using your tools to conquer everyday problems

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

—Ephesians 6:13-17

With my toddler grandson, Javier, coming to visit, I decided it was time to add to my toy collection. At the thrift store, my eye caught glimpse of a posable brown-eyed repairman figure wearing a red and white cap and a pencil behind his ear. I picked him up and turned him over to check the price. Marked on the sole of his work boot was $1. What a deal!

Placing him in my cart, I discovered something more magical than the price.

“Let’s get to work!” he said.

Huh?

As I pushed my cart toward the check-out line, he said, “Abuelito needs our help. Let’s bring the tools!”

Abuelito? Isn’t that Spanish for grandfather? What a perfect find for my bicultural grandson!