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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue #372 January 3, 2002 PRINCE RUPERT’S TEARS For Christmas this year, a dear friend gave me a reprint of a book from the mid 1890’s. It a recipe book of sorts and it tells how to make everything from common household cleaners to medication to explosives. The recipes and information are fascinating, although I don’t think I’ll try most of them. One of the things I learned how to make was called Prince Rupert’s Drops or Prince Rupert’s Tears. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS. The tears are made by letting drops of molten glass fall into a tub of cold water. As the glass hits the water and cools, it creates beautiful tear shaped drops. They are hard and clear, and have a small tail of glass on them. The amazing thing is that when you hold a drop and break off its tail, the drop explodes into fine powder and the explosion can be felt in your hand. I suspect that a vacuum must be formed when the glass hits the water and when air is let in, the drop can’t handle the pressure change. At first I thought the recipe was simply one of those interesting but useless pieces of trivia that catch my attention from time to time. The more I thought about it, the more I realized what an apt metaphor for life it was. Our hearts can be as beautiful as Prince Rupert’s Tears and just as fragile. We go through life with hearts that are hard and empty. An event will occur that shatters our heart and we’re left holding nothing but dust. The impact of the brokenness rocks our world. It is in that moment that many of us realize that we need a relationship with Jesus. Fortunately we serve the God who mends the broken hearted. When we encounter them, we can share the reason for our joy. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect 1Peter 3:15-16a NIV Until next time, if you heart is breaking, turn to the one who can heal it. If you know someone with a broken heart, tell him or her about Jesus. God bless. Kevin Are you broken hearted? Is your world crumbling into dust or exploding into brokenness? There is a place you can turn for hope and healing. Look to a relationship with Jesus. Email me and I’ll share a few Bible verses that explain why a relationship with Him is so important and a prayer that will make it possible. To share your thoughts on this issue of Gleanings, or to share prayer concerns email us at corbin_writer@hotmail.com. At Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential. If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page on our website
 © 2001 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin All Rights Reserved SUBSCRIBE TO GLEANINGS FOR FREE
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