Broken Pieces, Shattered Dreams, and Severed Relationships

“Every branch that bears fruit he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”  (John 15:2)

Broken pieces are fragments that God can use.  There were fragments that were taken up after Jesus had fed a great multitude of four thousand men (plus women and children) using a few loaves of bread and a few little fishes.  After he had given thanks and broken them, he gave to his disciples and the disciples gave to the multitude.  After they had eaten and were full, they took up seven baskets full of broken meat.  When he broke five loaves of bread to feed the thousands, there were twelve baskets full of fragments taken up after all had eaten and were full.  God has an amazing anointing for what can be done with the fragments that are left over.  And so it is with the broken pieces in our lives.  When we are going through the many trials that life brings our way, we have to always remember, “All things are possible to him that believeth.”  (Mark 9:23)  He can take nothing and make something out of it, if you will believe.

As I sat looking out of my window, the rain fell down to the earth.  Raindrops streamed down the windowpane, as tears ran down my face.  I cried out, “Lord, let my life stand for something.” Filled with sorrow and brokenness I said, “Lord, here I am fifty years old, half of a hundred; what have I accomplished?  What have I done with my life?”  Silence flooded the room.  I listened attentively to hear the Lord speak, but to no avail.  The silence remained.  As I stared out of my window on this dreary day, I saw the squirrels playing on the ground.  I saw all types of birds – robins, blackburnian warbles, ruby crowned kinglet, mockingbird, cardinal, brown thrasher, free sparrow, redstart, roller and a blue jay.  There were all types of birds jumping around on the ground, that I’d never seen there before in my front yard.  I sat there amazed at their beauty and their carefree lives.  I was feeling financial hardships, a lack of resources to meet financial obligations in paying my bills and meeting my own personal needs.  There were so many things that I wanted to do for the Kingdom of God, but because there was a lack of resources I couldn’t get the job done.  I was faithful in tithing, giving and sowing seeds.  I was living a holy life before the Lord.  I was walking upright in his word and keeping his commandments.  Yet, I was struggling in every area of my life except my walk with the lord.  I was crying out to him and my heart was so heavy because I wanted to do so much more for him, and I was tired of living the way I was, struggling for the mere necessities.  For as much as I desired to pay my bills and do for the Lord, there was not a manifestation.  As I stood silently before the Lord, scriptures began to flood my spirit.  “Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.  Are ye not much better than they?  Therefore, take no thought for the morrow: For the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”  (Matt 6:26, 34) “Be silent to the Lord, and wait patiently for him.” (Psalm 37:7) “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15) “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”  (Matt 6:33).  “I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.  But my God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:13, 19) “ No weapon that is formed against me shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against me in judgment shall be condemned.  This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, and the work that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto my father.”  (John 14:12) “I am more than a conqueror through him that love me.” (Rom 8:37) “Being confident of this very thing, which he has begun a great work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6) “Count it all joy.”  (James 1:2) “The joy of the lord is your strength.”  (Ned. 8:10) “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”  (Philippians 2:13)  “Those things that were gain to me, those I count loss for Christ, not because I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.”  (Philippians 3:7 and Philippians 4:17)  The word just arose in my spirit.  It was as sheets of pages being thrown out of a book, blowing in the wind of my mind, page after page.  Then I noticed the wind picking up and in the distance I noticed how it began to blow the trees.  When I got a closer look I noticed that only a few trees was moving, and I said:  Lord, why is that so?  And He said, “It’s not the wind; the wind is blowing on them all.”  He said, “Some of them are more sensitive to the moving of my spirit than others.