The Paperclip

I had just bought a cross necklace.  It sparkled and shined – long, black, and jeweled – it would match anything.  I wore it out for the first time a short while ago, and throughout the course of the evening, I must have forgotten I was wearing it.

In the midst of all of the fun I thought I was having, I felt a snap and something fall from my neck.  When I recognized what it was, I felt ashamed.  How could I have fallen back into this behavior?  How did I so easily break from being so steadfast?  What about my witness, my character?  Shattered.  I gathered up the broken necklace, placed it in my purse, and have carried the baggage around with me since. 

Today, I took that necklace out.  As I looked at it, fighting back the tears of disappointment in myself, I thought about how badly I wanted to wear it again.  I played around with it to see if there was something I could do to fix it.  The clasp was completely missing.  I could not open the small rings with my own strength to link them back together.  There was nothing I was going to be able to do on my own to repair its brokenness.  I needed something else to link the one broken end to the other side. 

That’s when I saw the paperclip.  Perfect!  Looping one ring into one side of the paperclip and the other ring to the other end, I now have the two sides connected once more.  How symbolic this representation!  Just as this paperclip restores my necklace from broken to whole again, so does the Lord restore me.  He is the connecting piece that links my brokenness to God’s righteousness. 

Now, each time I look at this necklace, I will see that paperclip and remember that without Jesus, I am not whole.  He has forgiven me and restored me and I should not take this restoration lightly.  When I wear it again, it will not be forgotten – I am His witness to the world around me.  Though the people I meet will not see the paperclip behind my neck, because of it, they will get to see the beauty of the jewels.  Just like that paperclip, people won't see Jesus with their eyes, but they ought to see Him through my life -- a shining light restored to reflect the sparkles of the cross.