Mending Fences

My fence is in desperate need of some mending, it’s a bit old and on closer examination, most of the nails are rusty. A lot of the fence is already pulling away and I can easily spot the newer nails that the previous owner used in their attempt to fix different parts along the way. This was a simple job for me, so I grabbed my cordless screwdriver and new screws… and was struck with what God pointed out to me… it caused me to pause and ponder:

1. It’s not easy mending fences, it takes work and effort even when things seem as though they should be simple. God showed me that the fences He was referring to were relationships… mending relationships.
2. Sometimes when you’re looking at the board, it may seem okay, but when you try to put the screw in and tighten it, you come to find out that the board is rotten and there’s nothing you can do about it. You attempt to fix it, but now you just need to pray that God will take care of it for awhile until you can fix it a different way, or just replace it in the end.
3. Sometimes your attempts are good natured and you have good intentions, but you may have inadvertently tried putting the screw in a little too close to the edge. This caused a fracture and the wood split. You have to try again by placing the screw in a different location. This could be that your attempts to fix the relationship fell on deaf ears based on timing, circumstances and your own heart and attitude at the time.
4. Sometimes when you look down the fence line and see all of the posts for what they are you realize you can’t take care of them all right away and it’s a bit overwhelming. Some need immediate attention while others can wait awhile and still others are not meant for you to take care of at all… forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation, but that’s an insight for another day.

Remember to keep everything in prayer… practice listening and hearing God speak to you daily. Is He revealing some fences that need mending in your life? Where are you in the process?