Cracked Screen … #MyPhoneGetsMe – Number 2 of 5

Terror. Time slowed down. My heart skipped a beat. I was helpless as I watched the phone go careening through the air and crash into the asphalt parking lot. I was putting my jacket on and the phone flew out of the inside pocket.

Now came the moment of truth. Was the case I had chosen up to the challenge? Was my phone intact? Would I have to head down to the Apple store to replace my screen, maybe my entire phone?

We’ve all had this moment, or one very similar. Dropped phone, or maybe dropping something on the phone. And …

Crack, splinters, shattered glass. Our screen had become a spider web of shards tightly held together the moment.

And in my phone journey, I have gone several months looking at my phone, seeing those with whom I FaceTime, reading news articles, and watching videos with cracks all over their faces, the articles, and the YouTube playbacks. It’s seems to be part of life.

And it is. #MyPhoneGetsMe. For my life is like my phone. The way my life is, I often get cracked. I get hurt by someone – crack. I am disappointed – shatter. I fail in attempts at something – splinters everywhere. Laziness low self esteem, struggle with feelings, broken life – crack, splat, splinter, shatters. #MyPhoneGetsMe.

Wisdom A … #MyPhoneGetsMe … Protect Yourself.

Now, occasionally I get lucky. It is the screen protector that cracks, not the phone. Or maybe the phone case gets whacked. Thank you Otter Box. And in life, I often put up protections, hedges, guardrails to keep me protected. You struggle with alcohol – stay away from bars. You have temptation issues – have a friend keep you accountable. Anger in relationships – spend time praying for them and see them the way God sees them.

When I give dating advice … I say put a Bible in the car seat between you and the date. It will make you think twice before crossing over for something you shouldn’t be doing. Just don’t open it to Song of Solomon.

Wisdom B … #MyPhoneGetsMe … Prepare Yourself

This is a bit different than protect. Though it is a proactive action. I know my own frailties. I realize I will act stupidly with my phone, so I get Apple Care. It’s a bit of an extra expense but I have found it worth it.

In my lifestyle, I know I’m stupid and do the things I don’t want to do and don’t do the things I want to do (read Romans 7, you’ll see Paul talk about this!) So I have an assured protection knowing there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love. God stays with us … it’s like having an Apple Genius Bar with me everywhere I go. And if I confess my brokenness (sins, shattered life, etc.,) He will forgive me and fix me and repair the broken screens. #MyPhoneGetsMe.

Wisdom C … #MyPhoneGetsMe … Remember God Can Use You Still

Lastly remember this, a broken screen is not the end of the world. In some ways, it may be a great lesson. It will help us appreciate what we have. It may teach us to handle our phone with greater care. And it may prompt us to humility as we have to tell the service center what kind of goober we have been.

#MyPhoneGetsMe. Seeing the world through brokenness helps us appreciate what we have, teaches us to treat life with greater care, and hopefully helps us treat others better as well. And humility, oh dear sweet humility, having broken screens in life teaches us we are goobers. And when we remember and acknowledge we can still be used by God, Oh how sweet that is.

#MyPhoneGetsMe … cracked life and all, I am still useable by God. And maybe even more usable for it’s about Him and not me. God uses broken and messy people.