In Need of Mending
A time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak.~Ecclesiastes 3:7 NIV
While sorting through the upper shelving in my closet, I came across my collection of things that were in need of mending.
The assortment was small: a favorite t-shirt with a loose seam, a sweater with some tattered and frayed edges of knitting, a shirt with a separated seam, and a dress that needed its belted sash reattached. None of them were complicated repairs. However, when I thought about the last time I had worn them, I realized they had spent over a year in my mending pile.
My Mending
With nothing pressing in my day, I decided to sit and sew them back into service. It took roughly twenty minutes to carefully mend them and make them as good as new. I was humbled that I had put off this task for so long, putting the pieces in the “I will do it later” category. I loved the T-shirt and wore it often, so wearing it again was especially enjoyable. Interestingly enough, the T-shirt had the words “Be Courageous Joshua 1:9” printed boldly on it.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.~Joshua 1:9 NIV
As I looked at the shirt and thought of the verse, I felt the Lord nudge me about another mending that perhaps needed to be brought out and taken care of. I thought of the things in my heart that I had left piled up for later when I had time. Like my mending pile, pieces of my heart needed repair, but I had set them aside to collect dust in their respective corners.
Bringing out the mending sometimes takes courage. Maybe it’s uncomfortable to look at the pieces we have neglected. Perhaps our spiritual wardrobe could use a review. The things we’ve set aside to address later are often useful and needed. God invites us to bring these parts of our lives to His capable hands.
God’s Mending
God revealed that I had a spiritual mending pile needing attention, like my literal pile. It was uncomfortable to realize how easy it had been to ignore those things for years.
Sometimes, the moment the damage occurred is easy to recall–such as the embarrassment of a broken zipper, popped button, or split seam.
Over the years, many out-of-control things have left parts of my heart embarrassed, damaged, or even ripped apart at the seams. Sometimes, those painful things occurred while I closely followed God. It was far easier to put those things in a mending pile.
But God nudged my heart as I rehung my restored pieces of clothing. I needed to let Him have the mending pile in my heart. Some pieces I had long ignored needed to return to God’s service. God would lovingly address needed repairs in His careful, skilled way to restore parts of me that had gathered dust.
Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us; he has injured us, but he will bind up our wounds.~Hosea 6:1 NIV
Determine if you have a mending pile in your heart. Frayed edges, loose buttons, and split seams can take a perfectly wonderful piece out of commission until it’s cared for. God knits us together in our mother’s wombs. You can trust in His mending process when life has tattered you.
God, sometimes it is difficult to bring out the pile of mending. Would You take me through the process and help me trust You with the repairs? Thank you for nudging me to trust You with each piece. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Genre: Non-fiction
Copyright 2025: In Need of Mending: Kristi LaReee: All Rights Reserved
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