Picking up the pieces of life

Posted on August 4, 2008 at 7:47 am • Print • Share

I can not stop laughing over what a little girl said in Vacation Bible School this week.The firemen were spraying down our Vacation Bible School youth this past Wednesday and one little precocious and articulate 5-year old girl, standing by the fire truck hose, was asked, “How is it like getting sprayed by the fire truck?”

She responded, “It is raining like hell.”

She went on to explain that it was like hell was coming from the skies. Our VBS Director, the one asking the questions, the one trained to deal with such comments, and the one stunned by the answer, finally figured out that the sweet little girl was trying to explain that it was like hail coming out of the sky.

Raining like hell at VBS. We are not always clear in our language and communication.

This morning’s Story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 is fairly clear. The disciples wanted the crowd to go away so that the disciples and Jesus could have some rest. “Send them to town to eat, Jesus. It is late and we are hungry and tired.” Jesus said, “You feed them.”
“What? We only have 5 loaves of bread and two fish.”

One thing to notice is that this Feeding of the 5,000 miracle takes place immediately after Jesus received the shattering news that his cousin and dear friend John the Baptist had been executed by King Herod for religious reasons. Jesus had just lost a dear friend.

Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, distributed it, and then told the disciples to go pick up the broken pieces. He made the mess and then they had to go pick up the broken pieces.

Clean it up, guys. The crowd needs you to clean up and continue.

When I left the VBS mess late on Thursday evening, four people were here cleaning up the mess — Sharon, Mark, Randy, and Danny. Mark was running this huge floor polishing machine, Sharon had a broom in her hand, Randy was moving tables, and Danny had a mop in his hand.

They were picking up the pieces after the Party. No one was talking. You know how it is cleaning up after a mess, after a party. All work and no talk. Quiet labor.

Friendship is a party. When we lose a friend or get the news that some friend is very ill, it is like the party is over. Now you have to pick up the pieces in your lives after receiving life-shattering news. Your friendship is like a grand party. And all parties end sometime.

Parenting was like a party to me. When she went away to Auburn to college, I had to pick up the pieces and clean up after the party. At the same time she went away to Auburn, we moved to Keesler Air Force Base. We moved into the worst house we had lived in during our marriage, she no longer lived with us, and I was not enjoying going to work to try to minister to 30,000 very needy and very hungry teenage students at the largest training base in the Air Force…they kept coming at me and the staff like a freight train. At first, I had a horrible office in a building that had been condemned. It took work just to go to work.

She told me one day, “Dad, those students need you.” She was right. I had to pick up the pieces and get on with it all. That prodding comment of hers jump-started me back into action. Some campus minister at Auburn was there for her and I needed to be there for these students.

Pam cried after church one Sunday after she checked a box on a visitor’s card indicating she only had one child at home. Daniel was 11 at the time and eager to be the ONLY child in the house…his favorite song growing up was the Lion King song “I just can’t wait to be KING!” He meant it every word of it and sang every note with great anticipatory hope.

He told Pam that morning as she cried after church in 2000, “Get over it, mom. Amity is gone. You raised her, gave her a car and some money and kicked her out of the house. Time to get on with life. Get over it.” He LOVED being the only child, the King, of the house. For a while, at least.

Boys, pick up the pieces and you will find a great surprise when you pick up the broken pieces of bread.

The surprises in life are like a great party to me. I told the four boys on our cabin retreat that they had to write home a post card to their mothers…a note to calm their mother’s nerves about this trip. I bought the four cards, told them to start the letter out “Dear Mommy…” and they did. They wrote the cards and handed them back to me.

Cameron wrote “Dear Mommy, I have a Big and sharp knife that I just bought.” Aubrey wrote, “Dear Mommy, pray that I get home safely from this trip.” He wrote that while Cameron was waving around the big and sharp knife in the back seat of the truck.

Church is a party to me. One great celebration of Life and of God’s love and forgiveness and of His Hope. A family party. Great food, great memories, great laughter. Tears are shed and laughter and Hope sustain.

Ah, that the party would go on eternally. But it doesn’t, does it? It all comes to an end, doesn’t it? Every party ends. Parenting, VBS, church, marriage, job, Life. Dreams come to an end at some point. Some prematurely and then our lives are shattered when the dream dies.

Ah, but the Party does not die. They tried to kill it on a cross one day. It seemed to die. It cried out, as we do. It moaned, as we do. It grew silent, as we do. It appeared lifeless, as we do. Someone came to the tomb to pick up the pieces. And then the great Surprise. On the other side is Great Hope. Life eternal. Joy.

Picking up the pieces after the party.

Just as we departed the airport this past Tuesday, the car was quiet. The party was over. You know that stillness after a party. The cell phone rang. It was a call from Alabama. She said, “I mailed a check to Lisa this past Monday for your church’s Vacation Bible School. I hope it arrives to Lisa in time.” This from a young lady trying to pick up the pieces in her own life.

What a great phone call and a great message. The message was to dad, “The kids at VBS need you.”

From a son in Germany yesterday:

Today was a really beautiful day. We went to the farmers market on the square and socialized with the whole village. Nora’s father and you are very similar; you both know most of the people in your cities. Then we walked Nora to work…the movie theatre (Kino in German) is also on the square. It is considered a historic site so no modifications are permitted since the 30s or so. We then went shopping for food and goods followed by a visit to the church in Northeim with the twisted steeple. The church is older than our country. Outside was a 1946 Jaguar in mint condition with wedding decorations. So we were timid about entering during a wedding but proceeded anyway with caution. The wedding was heavily concentrated at the front so our attendance in the rear went unnoticed. So I got a chance to witness a familiar ceremony in a several hundred year old church in a new language. It was truly a rekindling of religion for me as I felt very close to god today. The past several years I have been a firm believer but today was extraordinary. I also heard the Lord’s Prayer in German.

“Dad, those students need you.” Church, we are needed by many, like she said. The Party goes on. Pick up the pieces of broken bread and feed many who are hungry. Eternally.

It was raining like hell at VBS…these words of the little girl at VBS keep me laughing and keeps the Party going for me. Pam and I have to get home and do some more clean-up work…on Daniel’s closet. Amen.

By GARY L. SMITH
Reverend - Christ the Redeemer Church

Filed Under Faith, Gary L. Smith 


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