No matter how severe the wound—it can be fixed with proper care and therapy. No matter how deep the hurt—true love can ease it to nothing. Many years ago a French playwright named Hervie Connaistoi wrote a play that involved an old soldier. In the last act he had the old soldier say:

"Happiness," he says, "is so precious to some of us that, when it is broken, we stoop and gather up the pieces."

Remember when times were filled with happiness? No, every single second was not a time of unbounded glee—but there were times when we were happier than we are today. There were times when families did not cultivate estrangement, divorce, and outright animosity. There were times when local churches seemed to have more in common with each other—when it was a joy to hear of a work that was successful. There were times when gospel meetings provided an opportunity to be together without suspicions and doubts. There were times when gospel preachers could confide in one another, lean on one another for support, and know what camaraderie is. Those were the times of happiness. The old soldier's line says, "Happiness is so precious to some of us that, when it is broken, we stoop and gather up the pieces."  Either happiness is not very precious today, or we are unwilling to stoop to pick up the pieces—something makes us avoid a restoration of true happiness as Christians.

The world of today is the product of the past. In it we see self followed by a multitude of hyphens: Self-assertion, self-preservation, self-satisfaction, self-righteousness, self-aggrandizement, self-respect. We could almost leave a blank behind self, and someone could fill it.

Selfishness will destroy whatever it touches! Marriages, family life, local church fellowship, or the wider fellowship of Christians everywhere have all at some time suffered the effects of selfishness. The old soldier was right, you know. We have to stoop to pick up the pieces of those things we break. Stooping is not easy to a self-centered individual who is always right, who is never guilty of very much at all. Sometimes we forget that our Lord Jesus stooped on several occasions—in writing on the ground and in washing His disciples' feet. He stooped just to come to earth. Surely, if happiness is precious to us, we can stoop and pick up the pieces and realize that things will mend. We may never mend the broken pieces as attractively as they were originally—but we can make them just as solid and secure, if we so desire.