I had five minutes before an important phone conversation when the large kitchen clock came crashing down from the wall. The sound of thin glass shattering into a million pieces on the ceramic floor made me contort my face. I really did not want to be late for that call. Now, time stood still while the broken clock laid on the floor and its battery next to it. The whole thing fell when I tucked on an HDMI cable hanging from the TV above it.

I stood motionless for a moment and surveyed the disaster. I can make it before getting on the phone, I said to myself. In my hurried frenzy I heard the Lord whisper to my heart.

Earlier in the morning, when the house was quiet, when I could hear the seconds tap from the clock into my office, I had asked Jesus to speak to me today. I wanted to know His presence, longed for an assurance from Him that He was with me. I was feeling a familiar ache over a relational break which had occurred a considerable time ago.

Be gentle when you handle the broken.

His voice was inaudible yet clear, gentle, kind and compassionate.

My throat tightened, and I knew He was not only speaking of the shattered glass. I grabbed the broom, vacuum cleaner and garbage can from the closet, felt myself slow down. I didn’t want to track broken glass into other parts of the house.

I picked up the biggest pieces first and tossed them. The glass cracked in the container once more, reminding me of how fragile life and relationships are. How quickly words can break bonds.

Give the broken the time and the attention it deserves.

I knew I had to let the impending call go and pay attention to the shards, take time to clean. If I hurried, I would find pieces later and risk getting cut then.

Don’t be surprised when broken parts show up down the road.

The Lord gently interjected Himself while I looked for more glass. Even with my best intentions to fix things, remnants and parts of a disaster can stay hidden for some time. Not unlike grief, they can show up when least expected.

I never leave nor forsake you – no matter how long it takes.

Some suggest to turn off the light and search for the tiniest parts with a flashlight.
Light reflects back to us from the smallest fragments of the broken glass. The truth is, beams of intentional light always work best in utter darkness, when we point them at what it broken. Jesus knows this. Here, in the darkness of loneliness or depression, in lingering sadness or frustration over losses, with little distraction to anything else, He tenderly offers Himself. And then, meticulously and compassionately shows us those hidden, broken pieces and helps us pick them up.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

_{Essay ©2026 Heidi Viars
Photo Sunrise/Cross ©2026 Heidi Viars
Scriptures taken from the ESV}