The Broken Window

The closing day for the house was looming just ahead and the window needed to be fixed in order to pass inspection for the buyers’ loan. The window was a special order. It took a long time to arrive. The sellers waited on tender hooks praying that the window would come in one piece. They had been warned that it required special handling and that they often arrived broken, or broke even when the most experienced installer was putting it in place.

Out of a semi-load of windows, this was the only one that arrived broken. “The Lord is testing our patience!” said one. “There must be a reason!” said another. Just one out of a whole semi shipment seems like more than a coincidence. Another option for fixing the broken window was dissed in favor of “doing it right” whether the buyers backed out or not.

When ethics meets dilemma, choices can become difficult. When push comes to shove, shove sometimes wins the day at the expense of a clear conscience and pure heart. Taking the hard road is hard. We tend to think that taking the road less traveled will end up in everything working out the way we hope it will. That isn’t always the case and in those times we have to trust in the unseen hand of our loving Father and Creator.

In this case, after making the decision to try again for an unbroken special order window, several positive things happened. The house closing was delayed by only six days. An exception for the window was allowed so that its installation could be accomplished within two months. The new window arrived unbroken and was installed within days after the closing. An unrelated, ongoing prayer request was miraculously answered.

In God’s good and perfect timing, there are moments that take our breath away. In the same way as one window in a whole semi-load was singled out to be broken, a replacement window was installed without incident and a miracle was happening in another part of the spiritual family.

Doing the right thing isn’t always easy, but it’s always the right thing. And God never stands idly by when his children trust him with the outcome of doing what’s right.

Prayer:

Father, when life gets complicated, and we have choices to make, help us always to choose what, in the end, will bring you glory, and your children a clear conscience and a pure heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.