September is here! Can you hear that? It is the sound of joy coming from the parents as they wave good-by to their children as the school bus pulls away from the curb and heads toward school! The standing in lines to purchase school supplies has paid off as we finish packing the lunch for the first day of celebration or as the world puts it, the first day of school.
Speaking of school supplies, Gracer my oldest grand child is starting to learn to play the cello. Therefore, along with her usual school supplies one more stop had to be made. So on to the music store my daughter took her to pick out her cello. They had many cellos to choose from, so the sales person began with the brand new ones. They were beautiful. Never hardly ever been touched by human hands they were spotless. The sun light coming from the window shone on them like a spot light shining on a beautiful actor giving her line on stage. Each new cello parading before Gracer not only looked great but also they all had that “new car” smell on them. You know that smell that all new stuff seems to have. The prices ranged but the new cellos had all one thing in common, they were not cheap. After the salesperson had shown the new ones to Gracer, she told them they had some used ones as well that are practically brand new. Unlike with the new cellos, she began with the one that had the biggest blemish. Someone had dropped it and now it had a big chip out of its once beautiful body. This cello was now broken and given back to the store probably in exchange for a new one because it now had a defect. The salesperson quickly began to leave to get another one but Gracer with her eyes beaming and smiling ear-to-ear said, “That’s my cello, I want that one.” The salesperson could not believe her choice. The world stands in amazement as they look at you and me and think probably the same. How or why has God chosen us? After all, we have more wrong with us than just a chip out of us. But as he said, “You have not chosen me but I have chosen you” John 15:16. He loves the broken, the hurting, and the contrite. He loves to make music from vessels that have been hurt and scared from the world. After all Jesus still bears his scars of love in his hands, feet and side. Let us rejoice that He still chooses the broken for His kingdom.
As they left the music store Gracer looked at her new friend that she will make beautiful music with and fittingly named that cello, “Chip.”