The break in the stick
“Look Mom I found this stick and it broke but if I slide it back together it fits perfectly.” Spencer said excited to show me how it was like a puzzle that fit completely together.
We are all broken like that stick in one way or another, jagged, rough yet fixable. How often do we just try to ignore that break, that imperfection, we just try to slap a little glue on it from time to time, maybe some scotch tape but it only holds for so long and then someone, usually our spouse notices the break once more? We are flawed human beings and perfection, although sought out by many, will never be reached by any of us. Perfectionism is a trap. No one human being can ever be perfect unless they are divine. We are flawed but that doesn’t mean we should not try to improve ourselves and become better than who we are today. We should strive daily to be a better person, not perfect but better.
It seems that the breaks, the flaws in our personalities, are those characteristics that get us in the most trouble, those flaws we really don’t have the energy to change. After years of trying to cover certain flaws we sometimes develop a desire to change but how? It’s so difficult we always seem to slip right back into the old habits and mindsets that keep us broken. How then can we truly change and fix it? If we never stop trying, if we ask for help from our spouse, our friends and sometimes even a counselor we can begin to monitor and change our behavior. If we pray that God will help us and we commit ourselves to change it can happen. We must first be aware of the flaw and recognize the damage it causes to our relationships and then decide to fix it. Then we must be vigilant and form new habits to replace the old bad habits. The stick will go back together we need to put it back together and let others help hold it there while we change our inside so it will be a permanent fix.
So what is your break? Really think about it today. What flaw causes issues in your relationships time and time again? How do you think it initially formed? What can you do to change it? How can others help? Today take the time to recognize it and envision life with the break mended. It only takes 30 days to change a behavior and will power, God, family, friends to fix that break forever.
