It was the day before Christmas Eve and all through the church the pastor and the organist were printing bulletins and practicing the music for the two services the next day. At some point during the preparations we realized it might be handy to dust off the organ light for the candlelight service. No problem, it was where we remembered storing it. The problem was, it would not work. This light clips on to the music stand and shines three LED lights on the music. Solution, change the AAA batteries. We had some in the office. Still, it did not work and would not even flicker. We tried other solutions involving other lights, but they were too big or too bright, and cast shadows on the music. It was too late to buy a new one, so we pressed on, and the evening service was beautiful.
What do you do with an electronic gadget that does not work anymore? It’s too nice to throw away and no one wants a broken one. So after the holidays and the snow days, I consulted our family fixer-of-things, Deacon Enos, to see if he could discover the problem. He is a tinkerer and problem solver. I told him it would be okay if he broke it beyond repair because it was easily replaceable. Deacon built his own computer from scratch when he was 13. Now almost 17, he is on an academic path in high school and at Tulsa Tech to earn an engineering degree one day. The next Sunday morning he brought the now-working organ light to us, smiling all the way. He said he found one of the battery holders had a loose wire, which wasn’t connecting properly. He fixed it like new.
We are in this disposable culture where it is easier to buy a new one, than to fix it. If we are not careful, we can end up treating people as disposable also. I read about a church that started a Repair and Renew Ministry for their neighborhood. They call it The Repair Café because it has coffee and goodies to share. People bring their broken appliances, electronics, and furniture to the church basement where volunteers help them figure out what is wrong. If something needs a new part, the owner purchases the part and brings it back another time. While working on these projects, friendships are forged, and spiritual conversations are initiated. It seems everyone is a little broken somewhere and could use some renewal from time to time.
Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Repair and renew. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.
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