Mending Needed

Bible Reading: Psalm 6:2-4, 9

“But Mom! All my friends are going to camp. It’s not fair!”

“We can’t afford it, Addy. I’m sorry.” Mom dumped a basket of unmatched socks onto the table. “I’d let you go if I could, but we just don’t have the money right now.”

Addy’s eyes filled with tears as she began to put the socks in pairs. “It’s all Dad’s fault, isn’t it? Why did he have to leave us?” Her bottom lip quivered. “I thought he loved me.”

“Oh, Addy, he does love you!” Mom looked like she was about to cry. “He’s…he’s just going through a difficult time right now. He feels like he’s made a lot of mistakes and hasn’t been a good husband or father.”

“So that gives him a right to leave?” Addy wiped a tear with one of the socks. “This sock has a hole in it,” she said. “I’ll throw it away.”

“No, wait.” Mom took the sock and looked it over. “I can mend this.” She set the sock aside, then looked at Addy. “Dad needs mending too. He has a hole in his heart that needs to be fixed.”

The doorbell rang, and Addy sighed. “It’s probably Jillian wanting to talk about camp.”

When Addy opened the door, she was surprised to see her father holding a bouquet of flowers. “Daddy!” she cried, hugging him desperately.

He held her close and spoke softly in her ear. “I’m back, sweetie, for as long as your mom says it’s okay.”

Just then Mom stepped into the room, and Dad gave her the flowers and hugged her too. “Are you all right?” she asked with a trembling voice.

“I am now.” Dad pulled a small Bible from his pocket. “I’ve been reading this little book, and I’ve come to realize that instead of running from my mistakes, I need to let Jesus take care of them. He’s made me a new man.”

Addy thought about the sock. “So, you’re saying Jesus mended your heart?”

Dad nodded. “He can mend any heart. When we trust in Him, He makes us whole.”

Addy thought about that as she wrapped her arms around her father’s waist. “I’m so glad you’re back home.”

Dad smiled down at her. “Me too.” – Vicki L. Reinhardt

How About You?

Do you have a hole in your heart that needs mending? Do you feel overwhelmed by things you’ve done that have hurt others? Turn to Jesus. He died to pay the cost of our wrong choices and hurtful actions, and He can mend whatever is broken. Trust Him to heal the hole in your life and make you a new person. (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column of this page.)

Today’s Key Verse:
Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Jesus mends hearts