For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears - (Heb 12:17 ESV)
There's a whole industry in restoration - ancestral house restoration, vintage car restoration, art restoration and many more. In a word of brokenness, even our lives sometimes need restoration. But there are times when even the best restoration job cannot bring back what has been broken, because some things in life are made of glass.
In the bible we read the story of two brothers Jacob and Esau. Esau was the older of the two, the firstborn in the family. For the Jews, being the firstborn is a special position because the firstborn inherets a double portion of the family's wealth. But one day, due to the poor lad's hunger, he foolishly sold his birthright to his brother in exchange for a bowl of soup..Hebrews 12 tells us that when he realized his mistake later and wanted to receive the blessing that the firstborn son was supposed to receive, he was rejected, even though he cried and begged for it (Hebrews 12:16-17). In Esau's case, the privilege of the firstborn was made of glass.
Sometimes we find that relationships are like glass too - our marriages and our children are like glass. One mistake and it's forever broken, maybe restored a bit but the cracks will always remain visible. A good name can also be made of glass. I have a few people in mind when I think about this one. A single mistake and they lived forever in infamy, never to reach their previous height again. Trust is another area that can be compared with glass. Break it and it's almost impossible to restore. One misjudgment, one wrong word, one betrayal is what it takes to break something that is either hard or impossible to mend.
All these highlight one thing for us: we cannot afford to live life carelessly. We cannot take our relationships lightly. We simply don't betray someone's trust. We don't abuse our children. We don't exchange a good name for a temporary pleasure or a financial advantage. In other words, to safeguard the delicate and fragile areas of life, we need to live with great care, prudence, concern and attention. Remember. Once we are known to be one kind of person, it's almost impossible to get out of that mold. People tend to remember us for our mistakes than for our virtues.
What happens then if we experience such brokenness in our life? Is there hope? Actually there is. Jesus is the Great Restorer of all. What's impossible for us to do, He can do. Countless lives testify to the restoration that He has done. The truth is, all of us are broken as far as God is concerned. We all need restoration. If we come to Jesus, He does not simply mend. He will rebuild and the result can even surpass the old. First, He will rebuild that broken connection between us creatures and our Creator. Then He will rebuild our character that was broken by sin. He will rebuild our identify and prepare us for a future of purpose and meaning. Brokenness then is not a time of desperation. It's time to call upon the most powerful name of Jesus and be made whole again like new.
