The Broken Frame
“Heavenly Father, please bless Tate to know that he is loved.”
A true story from the USA.
Erica walked into her parents’ room and looked at the picture on the wall. It was a picture of Jesus Christ. She had seen it many times before, but this time she noticed something.
“Hey, Dad? Where did this picture come from? And why is the frame broken?”
Dad looked up from making the bed. “That picture was Oma’s.”
Oma was her grandma who lived in Holland. Erica liked to hear Dad tell stories about her life.
Dad sat on the bed next to Erica. “When Oma grew up and left home to be a nurse, her mother gave her this painting,” he said. “She hung it up in her room. One day it fell off the wall, and the corner broke. She wasn’t able to fix it, and it’s been broken ever since. Then when I grew up and moved away from home, Oma gave it to me.”
Erica asked, “Why haven’t you fixed it?”
“I could fix it,” Dad said. “But it’s a good reminder. It helps me remember that even though we might sometimes feel hurt or broken, Jesus Christ can help us. And it reminds me that He knows and loves our family.”
Erica felt warm inside as she looked up at the picture again. It felt good to know that the Lord cared for her family.
A few days later, Erica was getting ready for bed. She brushed her teeth and put on her pajamas. In a few minutes, Dad would come listen to her bedtime prayer and tuck her in tight.
But then Erica heard something. It was her brother Tate in his bedroom next door. He was talking to Dad, and it sounded like he was crying.
“Nobody likes me,” she heard Tate say between sobs.
Erica thought about the picture of Jesus Christ in the broken frame. She thought about what Dad said about how the Savior can help us when we feel hurt or broken. It sounds like Tate feels hurt right now, she thought.
“I love you. Tomorrow can be better,” she heard Dad say to Tate. “I’m going to say goodnight to Erica. I’ll be right back.”
When Dad walked into her room, Erica asked, “Why is Tate crying?”
“Some of his friends at school said some mean things to him,” Dad said.
Erica frowned. Then she had an idea. “Can we say a prayer with him?”
Dad smiled. “I think he’d like that.”
Erica knocked gently on Tate’s bedroom door and peeked inside. “Tate? Can we say a prayer with you?”
Tate sniffed and wiped his eyes. “Sure.”
Erica, Tate, and Dad knelt down, and Erica said the prayer. “Heavenly Father,” she said, “please bless Tate. Help him to know that he is loved and that he is special.”
When she finished, Erica and Tate gave each other a big hug. “Thanks,” he whispered.
Then Erica went back to her bedroom with Dad. As he tucked her in, he said, “I’m glad you asked if we could pray with Tate. What gave you the idea to say a prayer with him?”
“I felt sad when I heard him crying,” Erica said. “And I thought about Oma’s picture of Jesus with the broken frame. I thought Tate needed to remember that even though he feels hurt, Jesus loves him and cares about him.”
“That’s a great reminder,” Dad said. “I know He loves and cares about you too, sweetie.”
Dad kissed her on the head and turned out the light. Erica snuggled into her blankets. She was grateful that Jesus Christ would always be there to help her family.