Susan Narjala
Keeping it Real
When You’ve Messed Up “Too Much”
The other day, I dropped a supposedly “unbreakable” plate by accident (Or maybe it was genetics? I seem to have a congenital ‘butter fingers’ problem). Of course, it shattered into a gazillion pieces, leaving tiny shards of ceramic all over my kitchen floor. Turns out even the triple-compressed glass from a “trusted” and “timeless” brand of kitchenware will let you down sometimes. And when it does, there is no going back. I was sweeping up fragments for days after my tryst with the diabolical dinnerware.
Sometimes, our lives feel like that plate. Not just cracked in one of two places. Not just chipped on the edges. But broken. Beyond hope. Irreparable. Irredeemable.
I recently read the story of the prodigal son, or the lost son, in Scripture and even though it’s a familiar parable, I was once again struck by the rawness of emotion and the splendor of grace.
Like that broken plate, the son’s life was shattered. He had come to the end of himself, the end of his resources. He was empty inside—and not just because he hadn’t eaten.
But then the gospel writer Luke reports that this young man “came to his senses.” Instead of being fixated on the riches and pleasures of the world, he sees himself clearly for the first time. He understands that he is nothing and has nothing without his father. And so “he got up and went to his father” (Luke 15:20)
Scripture then paints a stunning picture with these words, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him…”
If you have not felt the weight and beauty of these words before, stop for a moment and let them sink in.
The father was waiting. It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say he was yearning for his son’s return. The father’s eyes were fixed on the path that led to his doorway. He hadn’t looked away. He hadn’t given up on this wayward son.
It didn’t matter that the son had demanded money, abandoned his family, and squandered all he had. All that mattered was that he had taken that one step toward home, toward him.
Friend, you may judge yourself harshly by the standards you’ve drawn up for yourself. You may label yourself as “too broken to fix” or “too messed up to be mended.”
But God waits for you. For you.
If you’ve come to the end of yourself, the end of your resources, the end of relationships that you thought would fix things, the end of a “woke” worldview that proved meaningless, the end of work that was meant to give you worth, the end of your self-sufficiency that was expected to see you through, maybe it’s a good thing. It’s a good thing if, when you come to the end of yourself, you turn to Him.
You may be a long way from God, but you just have to take that first step of humbling yourself before Him. You don’t have to figure out how to make the past disappear. You don’t need a game plan for fixing that broken plate. You can be a “long way off,” but when you turn to Him, He comes running to you.
Unlike the plate which I could not piece together, there’s no such thing as “too much brokenness” before God. He takes the fragments and makes your life a fragrance for His glory. Unimaginable kindness. Unthinkable grace
The stench of past sin doesn’t bother Him. The filthy clothes of guilt don’t deter Him. He throws His arms around you and welcomes you Home.
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Comments
14 Comments
Sara
Thank you. I needed that. ❤️
Susan Narjala
Thank you, Sara! Blessings, Susan
Margaret Thomas
Hi Susan. I love the way you weave an analogy around an ordinary situation and make it relatable to God’s love and power of forgiveness. It really touched my heart. God has blessed you indeed, in your ability to remind us of His love!
Susan Narjala
Thank you, Margaret. I feel humbled that God would use me as a vessel to bring some of these truths home to you. Many blessings, Susan
Jan
This is beautifully written so visual and visceral and is absolutely true. I am Praying right now for a former spouse who once knew God his Father and Jesus Christ his son and chose to walk away now lies in a bed of extreme sickness in the hospital. I have never stopped praying for him since the day he left12+ years ago. Our four sons all adults now are focused on physical healing which will take a massive miracle but also are concerned about his spiritual welfare. I will share this with them. Blessings
Susan Narjala
Thank you for sharing, Jan. I’m so thankful that this post encouraged you and I pray it encourages your sons too. I will pray for their dad today. God hears and answers. We will pray for a heart that returns to God. Blessings, Susan
Lois Tupyi
Spoke immensely to me. Thank you for fresh eyes on a familiar passage.
Susan Narjala
I’m so thankful that this spoke to you, Lois. God bless, Susan
Anita
I read your writings all the time and I was very moved by how you were able to convey God’s love for me. But what do you mean by “woke worldview?” My understanding of the term woke as it is used today is a social and political movement that seeks to address and correct social injustices and inequality.
Susan Narjala
Hi Anita, Thank you for your kind words. With reference to the ‘woke’ ideology, while it was originally meant to denote a heightened sensitivity to injustice and equality, it has now become a badge of self-righteousness. From what I understand (and I could be mistaken), it is an ideology where the gospel is seen as narrow or even backward and where activism supplants the good news. In my blog post, I meant that being ‘woke’ isn’t enough… we need Jesus. Hope that is clearer. I appreciate your taking the time to understand what I meant 🙂 Blessings, Susan
Anita Lastraoes
Hi Susan,
Thank you for your response. I do not see the term that way. I think it has been distorted by a far right movement that has corrupted the gospel and alienates people. I am a long-time follower of Jesus, who happens to be a person of color; i cannot separate who i am from my relationship with Him. But I am disturbed by what’s happening to the so-called evangelical church, whose message is no longer recognizable. I think its better not to use a term that is causing so much division among believers.
Susan Narjala
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Anita. As a person of color myself and a first-generation immigrant in the US, I understand (on some level) where you are coming from. The enemy tries to cause divisions within the church where Christ has destroyed every dividing wall of hostility. I will be more careful in using terms that could have layers of meaning. I pray for unity among believers because that is most glorifying to our God. Blessings, Susan
Anita
Thank you very much for being gracious and willing to look at and at least understand how i feel. I do believe that there is the other side of the spectrum, the far left, who can be uncompromising and unwilling to allow a viewpoint other than their own. I pray for unity in the fellowship of believers, as well, and a willingness to meet everyone where they are with the love of God. I will close with something i heard recently on a youversion message: God cares more about how we live our lives than what we say we believe.
Anita
Susan Narjala
Amen. Those are wise words. – Susan