Mostly I ignore it. I have never put it on my Christmas to do list. Yet it begs to be done. When I take out hundreds of ornaments and decorations from forty celebrations, there are always a few in need of repair. Heads fall off the snowmen, or wool felted angels need freshening up. Some are beyond fixing and wind up in the trash. They all sleep in a jumble inside popcorn cans for eleven months of the year. Because this December brought no out of town visitors, I gave restoration more attention. Glue and needles are my instruments of healing, and enabled a dozen ornaments who had been overlooked the past few years to rejoin the party. 

Repairs are a recurring theme in life. The string of trips to our mechanic have not been social in nature, but rather the pursuit of reliable cars. People contact me to mend clothes that have ripped in inopportune places. With a bit of care these garments can continue to provide warmth and beauty for the people who wear them. 

Relationships, too, need rehabilitation. A friend who went for couples' counseling this past year was pleased that his wife had become more aware of her mistakes. But he was surprised to learn that he also had harmful patterns that contribute to their conflict. Their marriage is expanding into fresh ways of communicating. 

"A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise".

 Psalm 51

Love,