Broken Hangers; Broken Lives

Today I threw away but yet another plastic hanger!  This one had it's hook severed off!

It's my kids!  It's really not entirely their fault, though.

You see, since we currently have three boys in one average-sized room, we sectioned off the closet into an upper and lower area to hang clothes.  Every season we reverse them so the most current season is easily accessible on the bottom.  However, usually in the winter season, they desire to wear something short-sleeve, so they choose a shirt from the top area but it is high and only but one can really reach the hanger itself.  So the other two resort to just pulling on the sleeve of the desired piece of clothing to get it down, often sacrificing a hanger - or two - or three - or…oh you get the idea.

It never really struck me - broken hangers - and what they could mean.  I would just ask the boys to please stop pulling them at the sleeve so I wouldn't have to buy anymore.  They often replied, "I know…" or "…but Mom, it's too high for me to reach the hanger!"  "Then get a chair or ask me or somebody else taller to help," I would reply.

Truth is, it IS too tall for them and it IS too much trouble to get a chair or ask someone.  Thus many a broken hangers rest in a landfill that are marked, "Just not worth it; just not worth the trouble."

Strange, I never thought of anything about it until today.  I was throwing away the hookless hanger and in the trashcan lay it's fellow comrade - the broken-at-the shoulder hanger, which looking at it, doesn't look broken at all but it was!  Another two bite the dust.

God spoke to me, as strangely as he does through everyday common objects.  He reminded me that many lives are like these broken hangers; many seem not worth the trouble to help from not getting broken in the first place and are not given a second thought to those using them.  Careless people use them, break them and then "unfriend" them from their lives.  Some of these broken people are physically obvious as they walk the streets asking for another handout or lay in the hospital waiting for the night nurse.  Some are emotionally broken as they hand you your change at the check out, always thinking of 'that thing' ready to cry at any moment.  While some, surprisingly, are spiritually broken, quietly sitting next to you with their Bible open wide; perhaps not even knowing how much they need to be fixed.  

But are these broken people throw aways to be forgotten?

The Lord showed me something else about these two hangers.  One of them was cut off at the hook which is where all the weight bears on and only by a miracle (or lots of glue and tape) could it be repaired.  However, the other was broken at the shoulder which caused it to appear just fine outwardly, but with a little squeeze you then could see the break.  This one could easily be repaired with a little love and care.

Now, if you know nothing about me, know this!  I love to recycle, fix, re-purpose and creatively find ways to use something someone else sees as just-a-throw away object.  There are many things that just can't be fixed, are good-for-nothing and should be thrown away.  On the other hand, other things can be recycled, re- purposed or repaired if someone had a vision and a caring, creative hand.

Using GOOP glue, fixed it at the broken area then wrapped the entire hanger with tie-dye duck tape.  Now, it's one of my favorite hangers and instead of hanging in my boy's closet, it now proudly hangs in my own; it belongs now to me!  Also, I found duck tape provides great traction for clothing that likes to slip off to one side.  That's a bonus I wasn't expecting!  It's now actually more useful than before!

With these hangers, God's object lesson is that broken lives can have two expected ends.  They can become completely unusable for their purpose, only to be thrown into the trash like my hanger that was broken at the head - um,  I mean, hook.  It would only take a miracle of God and lots of work to help that person out of their broken condition but with God, ALL things are possible!  The second, however, is like the hanger broken at the shoulder; there are many people that are broken inwardly but they don't appear to be outwardly but with a little squeeze in their lives, it can show.  These people can be repaired, repurposed, treasured and become of better use than before when yielded to being wrapped in the Holy Spirit in the love within the care of the creative hand of the Almighty.  The outcome will be by the touch of His hand, they will now belong to Him.

What can you take from this Life Lesson?  Well, I believe we are all broken hangers to some sort.  Well, for me I feel Psalms 147:3 sums up this illustration, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."  You can find numerous verses for your broken heart in God's Word that would speak to your situation specifically because not every person is broken the same way and most have been broken many ways.

So How ARE you broken?  How have you been broken in the past?

Are there sins in your life that nobody else knows about and you are broken about them, ready to give them to God for a repair?  You are broken.

Are you estranged from a loved one and need God's healing touch on your relationship? You are broken.

Have you lost a loved one - family or friend - and are/have been grieving for them?  You are broken.

Do you harbor anger in your heart toward someone who has mistreated you and now anger has turned into bitterness?  You are broken.

Has sickness overtaken your life only to find you crying out to Jesus in the middle of the night?  You are broken.

Has a difficult and stressful situation risen up in your life that has caused you to lose sleep and come to the end of yourself?  You are broken.

Have your been broken at the most important part of your being; your head; your heart - and the Lord has miraculously healed up your broken wounds and made all things new? - You WERE broken; but now are healed.

Brokenness can lead you into two different directions.  You can either choose to stay broken and walk away from God's healing OR (this is the better choice here), you can choose to run to Jesus in your brokenness, no manner what it is, and let Him heal, mend, protect, provide and give you peace in the turmoils of your life.  I choose this path.

I am and always have been a broken hanger!  Sometimes my brokenness is apparent; sometimes it's hidden but I have more breaks, more layers of glue and duck tape on me that I care to image.  I have been crying out to Jesus since I was a little girl for all my turmoils, and I will continue.  I'm so glad the Jesus is the great recycler and has viewed me more than just a throw-away.  In fact, He views all man-kind as redeemable, but only a few will yield to his repair.  Are you now willing for God to make his repairs on you and cause you to stand out for his Glory?