Author Archives

Norma L. Brumbaugh

Inspirational Writer, Author, and Speaker

PO Box 6432, Chico, CA 95927
nlbrumbaugh@gmail.com

Keep a smile in your heart.

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Little by Little, Piece by Piece

How long is it going to take?

None of us likes waiting. But waiting is a fact of life. It takes time for embedded emotional wounds to heal. There’s no easy path to wholeness. But, I’m here to say, that it’s worth the time, angst, vulnerability, rawness, and the whatevers to hang in there until the light begins to shine in and your spirits begin to lift.

♦ ♦ ♦

I used to email back and forth with a friend that lives in New Mexico. He is a friend that likes words, and writing, sunsets, stray dogs, and the big picture. My book ladies read one of his books where he blended his experiences with his story: PTSD, Vietnam Vet, adjusting to civilian life, his love of caring for abandoned dogs, and coming to terms with God. (Andrew writes here. He is battling the big “C.”)

Andrew shared a true story with me in 2016, and now I share it with you.

“A few years ago Barbara and I were shopping at a Pier One store, when we were startled by a CRASH! An unsupervised child had knocked over a large decorative ceramic plate, and it lay shattered.

The parents were horrified, and offered to pay for the breakage, but the manager demurred, saying it was part of doing business. I looked at the plate, and thought of what it had been just a few minutes before, and asked the manager if I could buy it – full price.

She looked at me as if I had grown a second head, and said, no, I could have it if I cleaned it up. I finally negotiated her up to half-price, and she threw in a box for the pieces. Meanwhile, Barbara was rolling her eyes dangerously far. One is still stuck.

We took the box of bits home, and every evening for months I sat with magnifying glass and ceramic glue, finding the mating pieces and slowly putting them back together. About 80% could be restored. For the rest, there were gaps.

When I was done, Barbara looked at it, and said “I still think you’re an idiot, but I’m glad you saved it.”

The plate is on a custom-made stand, on a shelf, looking over my shoulder as I write. And if a plate can smile, it is smiling.”

My response to Andrew’s story:

“I’m speechless. That’s who we all are. Broken pieces. I wrote about that once. I asked God how He heals us, and He said, piece by piece. It’s so true…and the process takes a life time.”

♦ ♦ ♦

An Analogy:

I think I can use an analogy here, that this is what God does with us. God painstakingly puts us back together. Our scars still show, but we are whole. Someone, The Someone, loves us enough to mend us and make us new. And, like Andrew, God wishes to display what He has done for us. God works in us, and I assume He wants to show off this wondrous trophy of His grace.

The thing is doable.

Do you wonder how long it’s going to take until you experience healing? I wish I could answer that it won’t take too long, but most likely it will take quite a while. Only God knows how much time it will take. I do know God will be with you on the journey. It is best to reach for it, rather than ignore it. Give yourself grace in the meantime.

Be patient, be willing, be aware. I’d like to encourage you to invite God to help you. Then you will have extra strength and support.

I wish you well on your spiritual journey.

God’s Work in Satan’s Playground by Dick Buck (WestBow Press, 2014)

Dick Buck passed away this month. He was one of the heroes of the faith. His ministry was in Brazil. He loved the people in his mission field. Dick was a journalist as a young man. His knack for telling a good story comes across as this story of his experiences on the mission field come to life under his pen. His dry wit also is on display and makes for an entertaining read. My sister spent a summer in Brazil with Dick and Mavis. I heard them speak at Corban University in 2012 when he was honored for his years of service and for making a difference in the world. He told stories of ministering when God gave him and Mavis the energy to travel a fair distance on Sundays to feed a flock that needed them. He said their former minister had beat his sheep. That alone was enough to convince me that he was the real deal. I was impressed with their trust in God. Dick was in his eighties and still serving, though retired, on the mission field. I wanted you to know about this book. It tells the story of two courageous missionaries intent on sharing the good news of Christ. It is a good read.