"Embracing The Broken Places"

We have 4 little boys and have never had a broken bone. Broken candles, broken toys, broken light bulbs we have had but no one has ever broken a bone. We have been to the ER for a couple of x-rays anticipating a broken bone, but they were always intact. I always knew if anyone was going to break a bone it would be Jacob. After all he is the 4th brother, always the bottom of the dog pile, climbing on counter tops, falling out of windows, jumping off of furniture, I even found him standing on the top (yes the very top) of our van in the driveway. We have survived all of this without a break until Thursday night. Jacob was riding piggy back on Caleb as they were running down the hall being chased by Joshua. This game did not end well as once again Jacob found himself at the bottom of the heap, but with his elbow twisted in  such a way that it defied the skeletal system and gave into the unnatural pressure. He cried and cried, but nothing looked broken. We honestly thought he was suffering from nurse maid's elbow so he slept on it, but when he woke up the next morning with the same pain he fell asleep with, I knew it was time to seek out a radiologist. After a few tests by the Dr and an x-ray, they confirmed that it was broken. I confess, I cried. The thought of my baby being in pain was heartbreaking, but I was also very nervous as to how we would survive a 3 year old wearing a cast. After all, his favorite activity is taking a bath. As I watched that adorable little blonde head sitting very still as he cut his big brown eyes from side to side so as not to move even the smallest muscle I began to think that maybe he was embracing this place. I was right. He loves his cast. He is so proud and he is so careful. He is embracing this time in his life. "I do it mommy. I can!" This broken bone has not stopped him. He reminds us to wrap it really good before his bath and he holds it out of the tub just in case. I have been amazed at such a young age how he is truly embracing this place of brokenness. What an example and an encouragement to us as believers? Do we embrace those broken places in our lives? I don't know about you, but I often want sympathy. I want to milk it for all its worth. I want to feel sorry for myself. I confess, I don't always embrace the broken places in my life. 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. I want to rejoice in my brokenness. I want to rejoice in my weakness so that Christ power may rest on me. "Rest" on me, to fall upon me and camp out there. I want to have Christ power carrying me through and his power being made perfect through my weaknesses and broken places. His grace is sufficient. We have to embrace it. We have to boast in what Christ will do as a result of those broken places. Thank you Jacob for reminding me to "embrace those broken places."