Martha Olawale

“He will not break a broken branch or put out a little fire. He will be faithful to make everything fair. He will not lose hope or be crushed until He has made things right on the earth.” Isaiah 42:3-4

My husband and I were visiting our friends a while ago and saw a pot of planted tomatoes in their garden. The soil looked rich around the plant, and you could see some green tomatoes on the branches of the bent stem. The duct tape around the hanging little plant caught my eye, and we asked why it was wrapped in duct tape. Kasey said that while trying to relocate the plant, the branch broke, and hearing that also broke my heart because I could see how gorgeous the plant was but for the brokenness.

Something resonated in me through this experience. It made me think of myself and others planted in the rich soil of our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Like the broken tomato branch, while still rooted in Him, sometimes circumstances around us move us to breaking point, and instead of standing straight looking up to Jesus, we are bent over by our brokenness.

I could hear the hurt as my friend explained that the duct tape around the stem was her attempt to save the broken branch and nurse the plant back to life. There was something about it that was worth saving, and she was willing to try. This speaks to the nature of God in us because he doesn’t let go, even in our brokenness.

Speaking of Himself, Jesus said in John 15:1-2, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes.  so that it will be even more fruitful.” It would have been easier to toss away if my friend’s plant was unhealthy, with dry-withered stems, leaves, and no fruits. But this was not a lifeless plant; you could see the lush green leaves and the little unripe tomatoes on the branches. It was broken but still rooted, giving it a chance to flourish again.

The notion that our brokenness is too much for God to handle goes against His nature. As Isaiah said in Isaiah 42:3, “He will not break a broken branch.” Don’t give up because you are broken; God will never give up on you. Our brokenness is just a response to the weight of the wind blowing around us and our mortal limitations. As long as we are rooted in Jesus, we will rise again. Just stay rooted!

About a month after our visit, you can only imagine how excited I was to receive a picture of the plant from Kasey with ripe tomatoes on the wobble branches. The duct tape and the new wire strings around the plant had helped nurture it to preserve the fruits. They lived! While God does not need to wrap us in duct tape, He is our source, and sometimes we need to curdle under His warm embrace and allow Him to nurse us back to life.