Living Loved Newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 3

Brokenness and Living Loved—at 70

Posted February 24, 2008

I've just been blessed with birthday number 70. What a gift! What a milestone! What a blessing!

And what a day! A loving, reaffirming day. In addition to the many gifts and blessings of family and friends, I awakened early birthday morning to the Holy Spirit placing upon my heart the first of a series of loving thoughts about brokenness. The first thought was, "Broken experiences arise out of broken people".

As I lay there reflecting on the significance of this message at this point in my life, my mind started journeying back through a series of encounters where I had been the person whose words or actions initiated brokenness. Indeed it was true: although I did not realize it at the time, I had indeed been a broken person. Broken experiences do arise from broken people. In the message Father was not judging and I did not feel guilty or condemned. I had long ago sought forgiveness and reconciliation where possible. Birthday morning I just felt loved, forgiven, treasured.

Next I gave thought to painful words and hurting experiences initiated by others. The message rang true: broken people do and say broken things. I experienced no resentment, only compassion and a yearning for them also to feel loved, forgiven and treasured.

About an hour later, as I sat down to write in my prayer journal, three verses of scripture (verses that I had memorized sometime earlier) were foremost on my mind—so much so that I had to write them down:

For God so loved the world that he gave his own Son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16.

I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn't confide in his servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father has told me. John 15:15

You are a chosen people...a Kingdom of priests, God's Holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his glorious light. I Peter 2:9

Frequently through out the day I found myself reflecting on the relationship between broken experiences and broken people. Yet, I felt at peace and even though I did not understand the significance of the message at the moment, I knew that would come in Father's timing. And it did—the next day. The second message was, "I forgive broken people and I heal brokenness." To that I could only humbly, thankfully, graciously reply, "Thank you, Jesus".

The third day another message: Romans 8:28 and Nehemiah 8:10. Respectively, those words are, "...and we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and who are called according to his purpose for them," and "...the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Today, five days later, here is what I perceive Father's intent to be:

First, he has shared this teaching on brokenness because he loves me and because I am his friend. Father wants his friends to understand that they are not alone in their brokenness, nor are they destined to brokenness. The purpose of his Son on that cross was to redeem us of brokenness and to set us free from brokenness both now and forever.

Secondly, Father does cause everything to work together for the good of those who are lovingly dedicated to him. As I look back at my life's periods of pain and seasons of brokenness, whether the result of my own self-centeredness or the agendas of others, I can definitely identify that in every season Father brought healing to both people and situations. I also know that in every circumstance there was good far beyond what I or anyone else could see. I know that by faith because his word promises that.

Father also causes everything to work together for good for those who seek to live out his purpose for them, and his purpose for me and everyone else who loves him is to proclaim the excellencies of the One who has delivered us out of spiritual darkness into glorious light and life and understanding.

Also on this day Father provided an answer to what had been a troubling issue. I serve part time as a hospice chaplain, walking side-by-side with people who are making the transition from this life to the next life. I also minister healing to people and have seen the Holy Spirit do miraculous works. My struggle sometimes has been whether I should be ministering healing to the dying rather than helping them to have a glorious moving on to that deeper relationship with Father.

This morning, an answer right out of scripture. Philippians 1:20 reads in part: "Now also shall Christ be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death." It is a ministry I can offer to both the sick and the dying, fully trusting the Holy Spirit to know and to work according to Father's will.

Finally, this word of affirmation from day three: "...The joy of the Lord is your strength." In Nehemiah 8, just as Ezra the priest completed reading the scripture to the people who had completed the rebuilding of the wall surrounding Jerusalem as well as those who had returned from captivity in Babylon, Governor Nehemiah declared a feast: Go and celebrate with a feast of choice foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before the Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength... So the people went away to eat and to drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God's words and understood them.

In Esther 9:22 Mordecai the king's official tells the people "to celebrate with feasting and gladness and by giving gifts to each other and to the poor... as way of commemorating a time when their sadness was turned into glad-ness and their mourning into joy."

Notice the relationship between giving and joy. Giving is of the Lord and joy is of the Lord and in that he promises strength.

So, I have heard Father's words, I believe I understand his words, and I summarize them as follows:

Because he loves me and because I am his friend he wants to make sure I understand that...

• Father sent his Son to pay the price to redeem the world from its brokenness and now Father, Son and Holy Spirit are healing the world of its brokenness.
• In all things, including brokenness, Father works for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.
• His purpose for me is that of proclaiming the excellencies of Father, who has called me (and all the rest of us) out of spiritual darkness into the glorious light of relationship with him.
• We proclaim Father's excellencies by magnifying Christ in our lives and our bodies, in life or in death.
• Every day is a sacred day, every day I give as I am led to give, in the giving I am blessed with joy, and the joy of the Lord is my strength.

I have completed seven decades and number eight is lovingly, purposefully and preciously under way.

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord.

Chuck Tooman
Living Loved