Repairing Guitars and People

Earlier in the week I wrote about a broken guitar. Since then, I got out the wood glue and the clamps and put my grandfather's guitar back together. The other post describes what led up to the damage; I won't rehash it here. What I will talk about are a few things I've thought about this week about repairing the damage that anger causes.

Typically, when anger is out of control and out of bounds (Psalm 4:4), we end up putting dents in our relationships. It can even total them completely if the emotional wreck is bad enough. What happened with my grandpa's guitar was, thankfully, all by myself and affected no one but me.

However, this has not always been the case, and when another person is involved, I've learned a few things about repairing the damage:

Repair is generally postponed. When the Vibratone was damaged, so was I. I wasn't sure what to do, so I sat it back up on the shelf where it sat, horribly broken, for a couple of years. Not many of us rush back to an injured brother or sister to make amends. Embarrassment and uncertainty and even pride prevent us doing so.

Repair takes some serious thought. At first, I had no idea what to do with my broken guitar. Aside from feeling stupid for causing the damage, I simply didn't know what steps to take to make the repair. It wasn't until I held the damaged goods in my hands and looked it over long and hard that a plan formulated in my mind. We shouldn't ignore damaged relationships, but it's a good idea to think about the best way to go about fixing what we've torn up. (Proverbs 21:29)

Repair is easier once begun. The task of repairing the guitar was formidable at first, but it ended up being much more simple than I had feared. The first step in mending relationships is usually the hardest, but it sets good things in motion and provides more momentum than one might imagine.

Repair begins the moment the process has started. I know, I know, that statement turns back around on itself, but as soon as I learned how to fit the parts of grandpa's guitar back together, before I'd picked up the glue or adjusted any clamps, I felt great satisfaction. I knew then that this repair was doable and was as good as done. Approaching an offended friend or spouse with a plan for repair and a heart of humility will give great confidence that loves covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)

Repairing something is the most wonderful feeling in the world. Now that the guitar is back together, it has become even more meaningful to me. When a friendship is won or a marriage is healed, in large or small ways, the other person becomes even more of a treasure than before. I suppose part of the reason is that both parties have learned that what they share in relationship is larger and stronger than any hurt. We also learn that selfishness is never worth it, whether it shows up in the form of anger or any other attitude. Even Christ humbled Himself, and He had every right not to.

(For a full pictorial of the guitar repair process, take a trip over here . . . )