I’ve written about our country being broken for the past couple years on Presidents Day.  I’ve been witness to breaking up of families through divorce.  Through my life, I’ve been broken by loss of a loved one – bad choices – sins that continually haunt me.  I’ve also seen division occur when minds have differences of opinion – friendships are broken because of it – lives change as a result.  When something is cracked, do we abandon it?  Do we walk away, because we don’t want to pick up the pieces and go through the tedious job of putting them back together again?

Last week I accidentally bumped a treasured porcelain figurine and broke it. This little piece of art had survived all these years without a crack. I glued it back together again, but will it last? Will the mending outlast time?  Probably not.  Still for a while, it will be fine and look as good as new – until it falls and breaks again.

When we go through trials as individuals, as a church body, as a group of friends, we don’t simply walk away.  There is a driving force in us, designed to mend those relationships.  Sometimes there is no hope of rejoining the broken.  We become so focused on the cracks and fissures that we don’t see the remaining beauty and how it can be reworked for everyone’s good.

The piece of art shown above, is a great example of using something solid and beautiful to restore the broken.  Isn’t this true in our personal lives too?  When things get messed up, we look for solid solutions.  We rely on the best methods – tried and true.

The same is true for every president of our country from the founding of this grand nation.  Each came to office to pick up the pieces and turn them into something new and better.  Every president undoubtedly felt his ideas would make a difference.  After wars were fought, we established ways of restoring countries that suffered because of them.  When poverty strikes another land, we are there with financial and physical aid.  When tyranny reigns and families are broken because of rulers bent on power, we intercede.  America has always stood as a beacon, because of its compassion, strength and ability to fix things.

Somewhere along the line, our nation has lost its faith in God’s intervention.  He can take the broken – the shattered – the useless and make them whole again.  With God, there will be no traces of those breaks.  The cracks will be filled with strength and power.  With God only, can we become stronger through our brokenness.  Through our weaknesses, God restores us.  However, we need to be proactive.  God wants us to be involved in the process.

As we honor our nation’s presidents today, let’s remember that each of them had a dream for America.  They wanted the best for her.  Let’s never lose respect for any of them in this important office.  America may have it’s flaws, but God will make her strong again.  God bless America!

 ^“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  Jeremiah 29:11