This was a sign I saw on the way to work.  It’s on a pawn shop display:

We buy broken gold

I’ve seen this sign before but for some reason, on this particular morning, it touched my heart, to the point of tears.  It was a particularly tricky part of the daily commute, so I had to buck up and make it in the rest of the way without thinking about it.

But the impact disturbed me.  I have dealt with irrational feelings – my own and those of others’ – and I really don’t like not knowing the underlying causes for irrational things.  I don’t have to control things; just knowing why something happens is sometimes enough for me.

But these four words rang throughout the morning in my head and heart, like what I’d imagine a ray of hope would do when seen by  man who thought hope had run out for him.

We buy broken gold

Then it hit me, like said ray, and the peace was deep and swift.

The phrase “broken gold”, in its most technical format, means anything gold that has been broken or stripped down.  Lockets, rings, decorative charms, etc.  Not on its own anything significant.

But examine the phrase more closely as well as the original item.

Broken gold, like broken promises and dreams, still has a value unto its own, regardless of the stresses and cracks it can develop.  This is why it’s one of the most cherished metals in existence.  Some examples are:

A damaged relationship – in some cases irreparable – can change into a new thing, or a lesson to bear in mind

A lost or forgotten gift can be found again, ready to charm the receiver of the gift when its recovered

A family heirloom, although broken and cracked, can remind the holder of the value and stories this represents

It’s also malleable and able to take on a new form under the right hand and when subjected to purifying fire.  A fire that can cause pain can also remove the impurities life and tarnished experiences bring to all.

Broken gold

These items have meaning in someone’s lives.  If the meaning still exists, can we believe that the items, although broken and discarded, remind us of what we once had and can still have again?  This suggests hope.  If the meaning no longer exists, then can the item – broken and discarded – be reborn as a new creature, ready to encourage a new beginning?  This suggests hope of a different nature – a hope for new times and dreams.  Both are heart-warming in their own way.

Then there’s the first bit of the phrase, “we buy”.  This is probably the key to the prison of despair here, and what was the core of my reaction.

Wherever there is disorder, chaos, and broken dreams, there will be someone around who is willing to help us through this.

This comes from first-hand experience.

As a Christian, I’ve come to know how true is the idea that my Creator, the one that formed the Heavens and the earth, knows my value in His creation.  As a Holy Trinity, He took my broken dreams, my broken promises, my broken relationships with Him and others, and paid for it with a dear price.  His own earthly life, and simultaneously the life of His son and brother.  He rose from the earthly and spiritual grave to take back His life and creation, and with it, to provide the hope and promise that I will live with Him and my loved ones for eternity, shining like pure gold.

He paid for all this because he knew the value and preciousness of the gold in my life, although broken, could be mended or forged anew in the cleansing fires of trials and tribulations.  And He’d be right there with me, guiding me and teaching me along the way.

We buy broken gold

Yep, it’s a deep and meaningful phrase.  Hard to believe all this can be hidden inside of four simple words.

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This was a sign I saw on the way to work.  It’s on a pawn shop display:

We buy broken gold

I’ve seen this sign before but for some reason, on this particular morning, it touched my heart, to the point of tears.  It was a particularly tricky part of the daily commute, so I had to buck up and make it in the rest of the way without thinking about it.

But the impact disturbed me.  I have dealt with irrational feelings – my own and those of others’ – and I really don’t like not knowing the underlying causes for irrational things.  I don’t have to control things; just knowing why something happens is sometimes enough for me.

But these four words rang throughout the morning in my head and heart, like what I’d imagine a .22 caliber bullet would do when shot into a small hollow enclosed space.

We buy broken gold

Then it hit me, like said bullet, and the wound was deep and swift.

The phrase “broken gold”, in its most technical format, means anything gold that has been broken or stripped down.  Lockets, rings, decorative charms, etc.  Not on its own anything significant.

But examine the phrase more closely as well as the original item.

Each of the broken items were not created broken.  They were created anew, fresh, and with the intent of being something hopefully special for someone.

A wedding ring, with vows to stretch through the end of a lifetime

A congratulatory gift, to celebrate completion of a hard-earned achievement

A family heirloom, with a history that stretches back generations

But now, over time, through intent, neglect, theft, or accident, these items – and associations – are what they are advertised to be:

Broken gold

These items have meaning in someone’s lives.  If the meaning still exists, then why is the item broken and discarded?  This suggests theft.  If the meaning no longer exists, then why is the item broken and discarded?  This suggests theft of a different nature – theft of time and dreams.  Both are heartbreaking in their own way.

Then there’s the first bit of the phrase, “we buy”.  This is probably the nail in the coffin here, and what was the core of my reaction.

Wherever there is disorder, chaos, and broken dreams, there will be someone around who is willing to profit off this.

This comes from first-hand experience.

It’s never easy to watch ones’ family belongings packed up into little boxes, sectioned off into separate lots, and sold at auction.  More difficult to do so, knowing that it’s a last-ditch attempt to try to hold a family together due to a myriad of horrible financial and inter-personal decisions.

Most difficult to make that phone call overseas to say, “hon, we didn’t make a profit off the sale”.

We buy broken gold

Yep, it’s a deep and meaningful phrase.  Hard to believe all this can be hidden inside of four simple words.

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Dave Ramsey’s got some good advice here about focusing on the most important things.

It is easier, however, to focus on the most important stuff when we’re not distracted with thoughts about how to pay for the not-the-most-important-stuff.

I’ve a lot of experience with the effects of impulse shopping and credit extensions set up to pay for those purchases.  Really, mom and dad’s advice is the best.

If you haven’t the money in the bank to pay for it, and have to borrow to get it (like pay for it on a credit card), don’t get it.

This especially includes things that you can’t touch after the purchase event is over.  Like vacations, holidays overseas, holiday gifts or even the “little” things like circus or movie tickets.  It also includes things we CAN touch like furniture, new appliances, and especially non-essential items (toys, games, etc).  This doesn’t mean we can’t get these things!  However if we have to use a credit card (i.e. borrow from someone else) to buy these things, we are cheating ourselves in the long run.  And this is a cheat that is a mean and unforgiving master when it’s time to pay up.

Things like car/appliance parts or other emergency purchases can go on a credit card but make a major effort to pay off the balance within six weeks – otherwise, you’ll forget and this will roll over to start biting you with increasing finance charges.

It’s tough to train one’s self to do this, but the peace of mind this discipline brings also strengthens your home and self-confidence.  Your family – kids/grandkids especially – will pick up on this and will know there’s stability at home.

You won’t be hunting around for extra hours to pay extra for things which you should have waited to pay cash for.

You won’t be stressed and freaked out when an appliance dies suddenly, because you’ve planned for this eventuality and have money in reserve for this (instead of using it up on the impulse purchase for the new TV with zero percent interest… but oops, couldn’t pay it off on time so now there’s a ton of loan payments to make now).

You won’t be missing out on the vital, life-shaping conversations with your loved ones because you will be focused on these instead of thinking about financial issues.

And, passing on this lifestyle will change the path your kids will take.  If your kids have just started working, they can be millionaires by the time they are in their mid-30s.  They don’t need a breakthrough job or need to “be lucky” to do this. They just need to understand how money works – not the stock market ventures, but how money moves around and what is the best way to pay for things.

I encourage each of us reading this to make an effort to understand these principles ourselves, use these in practice, and share the education with our loved ones.  We can help to create millionaires – ourselves, ideally, but if not ourselves, then our kids stand a chance.

And the best thing to do with our hard-earned, well-planned income?  After securing income to live off of after no one else is willing to pay us for our skills (i.e. retirement), we need to voluntarily spread the wealth.  Donate to causes that mean something to us personally.  This should include our family, neighbours, local community.

Sure, the federal (and in some places, state) tax man will want an ever-increasing amount – and will forcibly take a portion of our earnings to fund items we don’t agree upon.

But that’s what makes the voluntary donations all the more precious, and blessed.