Gò0dNews for Everyone
Picking Up the Pieces by Dorothy Teague
B
ack in the ‘70s, I sang with my sisters in
my life was shattered and as I stood looking at all the
churches all across East Tennessee and there
brokenness, the only thing I knew to do was to give
was a popular song that we sang called
it to God to help me start again in my journey. We
“Broken Pieces.” Its popularity was gained because
all make bad choices and stray from the path that He
people from all walks of life could easily identify
wants us to be on. We live in a fallen world and fall
with it, as we have all been broken at one time or
victim to making decisions based on how we feel,
another. One night we stopped at a favorite restaurant
rather than what the Word tells us we should do.
that had a piano in the back dining room, and our
James 1:5 says, that “If any of you lacks wisdom, he
friend, who was a great pianist, was there. At his
should ask God, who gives generously to all without
urging to sing, we gathered around the old piano and
finding fault, and it will be given to him.” There
enjoyed harmonizing on many old favorites. Then,
are tragedies that we bring on ourselves, as well as
our friend began singing this song. I had never felt the
those that happen to us which are caused by others.
Holy Spirit so strongly in this song before. The Spirit
Illnesses, divorces, loss of careers, and death are all
was so overwhelming, I began weeping. Little did I
part of the human condition. But in every situation, we
know the battle he was having in his own life at that
must pick up the broken pieces and hand them to God
time. He was living every word of that song.
so that He can set everything right again.
There have been many times when
God never promised our lives would be easy nor the journey smooth, but what He DID promise is that He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). Sometimes our lives are going to be like a shattered windowpane, with the fragments laying at our feet. But God can put the pieces of our lives back together in a brand-new way, creating a beautiful mosaic from our miserable mess. With His mercy and grace, we become a “work of heart,” His heart, a masterpiece of His design. All He requires is that we ask His forgiveness for our mistakes and, as the last line of the song goes, “just place the broken
34 // January 2022
About The Author
pieces at the Savior’s feet.”
Dorothy Teague is a Tennessee native, who resides in McMinn County with her husband, Lewis, on their farm. After completing 31.5 years as a teacher in the Bradley County School System, she is active in her church at Eastanallee Baptist Church where she is a member of the choir and praise team.
