Duct Tape and Staples

I was attempting to fix a hole in my backpack last night which is beginning to reach epic proportions and drive me out of my mind. The first attempt to seal this hole was with staples. There did come a point, fifteen staples, three scratches and a lot of frustration later, I realized this particular solution to fixing my broken backpack was not going to work. The next thought to spring into my mind, and then meander out, was that duct tape would work just as well to fix this poor abused backpack I carry all the time. Late last night that was moot point as I have no duct tape. There are very few things in my life that require duct tape to be fixed.

This is not to diminish the incredible repair value duct tape holds in so many lives. It is one of the most useful things ever to fix just about anything from broken Burks, to broken instruments cases, to broken folders, to stands, to cabin walls, to . . . well, many things. Not all of which are necessarily music related. The one thing I have found duct tape to be simply ineffective on is broken hearts. There is no amount of duct tape in the world that can hold together a broken heart or a broken relationship.

Honestly, there are few things in this world that can. "And the greatest of these is love." It may seem pointless to love when the last thing a broken heart feels as though it can do is to love. Sometimes it's not the ability to give love that heals, but the ability to receive love. It's possible to get so caught up in the hurt you feel and overlook those who offer their love to you without conditions. When there are two people involved, it seems impossible to ever offer love to them and just attempt to pull love forcibly out of them. Or ignore the love of healing they offer to you.

Some days it's not money that makes the world go round, but forgiveness. In order to love, you must also forgive. It's easy to forgive others (most days) when the others are not those who are a intrensic part of your life. It's easy to forgive when they are simply people who are there and not those who are a part of every day and every emotion, not those who guide the choices you make in your life. It can be a great policy on paper, but in the reality of every day life, this beautiful principle loses some of what it used to have. As terrible as it can be though, it is only through forgiveness we can move on with our lives. We need to be able to forgive others, and we also need to be able to forgive ourselves. We need to gorgive ourselves for not being perfect and falling short of the glory we were created for. Alternately, we also need to forgive ourselves for what we had no control over. We do not control the actions of others and so we cannot place that share of blame on ourselves. Only when we truly seek and share forgiveness can we begin to heal the brokeness that inhabits our hearts and our lives.

Love and forgiveness are two principles that often come with another. Grace. The word we so often struggle to define. The gift that is freely offered, but we are hesitant to receive it. How can such a great gift be given with nothing given in return? When there is only hurt given to the giver of this gift, why are we getting something so special? Because we don't deserve it. We never will. But God gives it to us anyways. He loves us. That's all the reason He needs.

I still need to track down some duct tape in order to fix this Grand Canyon of holes in my bag, but I think I can stop looking for the correct tools to fix the broken hearts and relationships in my life. It turns out I had them all along.