
Fragile
Salisbury Post- July 4, 2021
The package was delivered.
โ
The first thing I noticed was the warning: Fragile.
โ
Some packages may not give a warning that it is fragile.
โ
Instead, they may give these instructions: Handle With Care.
โ
Either way, we know that what is in the package may be damaged or broken if we do not handle it with care.
โ
For me, the warning worked. I picked that package up, carried it carefully into my house, and placed it gently on the table. As I opened it, I had to go through styrofoam packaging to get to it, so apparently the sender and the postal workers had been careful, too. It was not broken or damaged.
โ
Do we pay attention when we see that an item is fragile or needs to be handled with care?
At my house, I often hear or say something like this, “Be careful! That will get broken!” Or perhaps I should say, “Handle with care! That’s fragile!”
โ
But how about us? Not packages — but people.
โ
We do not have a sign on us that warns: I am fragile.
โ
Nor do we have a sign on us that instructs: Handle With care.
โ
But sometimes, it would almost be appropriate.
โ
If we will pay attention to those around us, we may know, anyway.
โ
We may see it in their actions.
โ
We may see it in their movements.
โ
We may see it on their face.
โ
We may see it in their eyes.
โ
We may hear it in their voices.
โ
They are in a stage of their lives where they may feel damaged or broken.
โ
They are crying out: I am fragile. Please handle with care.
โ
Perhaps they lost a loved one. They are still grieving greatly, although we wrongly assume they have begun to move forward.
โ
Perhaps someone is dealing with a personal or private problem they do not often talk about to others.
โ
Perhaps it is a son, a daughter, a mother, a father, a grandparent, a neighbor, a friend, or even a pastor — all struggling with a heavy load that they do not feel will ever be lightened.
โ
Perhaps it is a prison inmate, a hospital patient, the employee working hard to make ends meet, the one close to bankruptcy, or those living in an unhappy home.
โ
Perhaps it is someone who is elderly, someone who is too busy, someone who lives alone, someone who needs encouragement, someone who is depressed, or someone who needs a friend.
โ
No, the words “I am fragile” and “handle with care” are not written on their T-shirts, but they are written on their hearts.
โ
You will know who they are —
โ
Reach out to one of them today.
โ
There’s a promise from God about doing that.
โ
Luke 6:28 says, “Give and it shall be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”