God's Grace Even in the Broken Pieces
I recently read that the Japanese instead of throwing away old broken items, will sometimes fill the cracks with gold. They believe that something that is damaged and has a history is valuable and worth saving and treasuring. Many years ago my grandmother accidentally broke a large china vase. I remember when she told me the story of the vase. I would imagine my grandfather who died when my mom was in college, was not given to impulsive gift giving. One day he returned from the market with a surprising addition to the usual staples. He sheepishly handed his wife a large ceramic pink and white pitcher the kind that would usually adorn the hearth of a fireplace or perhaps hold dried flowers. It was far too large and heavy for more practical purposes. He told her he guessed he should have bought a bag of flour. That pitcher sat in my grandmother's living room for many years. None of her grandchildren ever knew Laird Parsons but they did know the story of his impulsive kindnes...