Stanley Jones and the story of the Broken Doll! Perhaps a way to remind us we are called to do!
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We continue to seek the Lord's direction in guidance as to what the Stanley Jones radio school should be doing and what we should be about.
Today I am thinking of a number of situations in my own family group where grace and healing are necessary and needed in many ways.
And then in my reading of the book by our dear friend and teacher Roberto Escamilla I came to the chapter which helped to summarize a very vital lesson. I would like to share some of Roberto's wisdom, as he is one of the true followers and encore leaders in our desire to know more about J
esus and the stories of transformation given to us by Stanley Jones.\
And then I asked STOSH ... To give the robot report on the radio show
The Place Where Broken Hearts Are Healed
A Reflection from the Stanley Jones Radio School for Fully Alive Living By Stan Hustad
Greetings, friends around the world. This is Stan, "Stan the Radio Man," welcoming you once again to the Stanley Jones Radio School for Fully Alive Living. Thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and prayers as we seek to bring the timeless wisdom, insight, and transformative truth of E. Stanley Jones to new generations — and new languages — across the globe.
Today, I want to share with you one of the most beloved and moving stories Stanley Jones ever told: the story of the little girl with the broken doll. It's a story that reaches deep into the human heart and reminds us all why the church — and why our faith — truly exists.
A Story of Transformation: The Little Girl with the Broken Doll
In a world often overwhelmed by sorrow and wounds we cannot even name, Jones gave us a simple yet profound illustration. A little girl, carrying her broken doll, entered the church and asked the pastor a deeply meaningful question:
"Is this the place where they mend broken hearts?"
What a powerful question. What a courageous act. This child instinctively understood that the church — and the people of God — must be a healing place, a sanctuary for the broken-hearted.
Imagine the tragedy if the answer had been no. Yet, sadly, many churches and institutions have drifted into busyness or bureaucracy, forgetting that their primary mission is to bring healing, not just to broken spirits, but to broken hearts, bodies, minds, and communities.
E. Stanley Jones lived and preached the truth that Jesus Christ is not only the Savior of our souls but the Healer of our wounds. His life and ministry were filled with stories of real people, real transformation — not just theories of theology, but testimonies of hope, healing, and new life.
And today, as much as ever, the world cries out with the same question: Is there a place where broken hearts can be mended?
I pray that our answer — yours and mine — will always be an unwavering and heartfelt, "Yes, this is the place."
Why This Story Matters More Than Ever
In recent days, my own heart has been deeply touched.
- I attended the funeral of a dear man, a believer who lived a good and faithful 95 years. We celebrated his life with joy.
- Yet within the same weekend, I grieved with my niece, who suddenly lost her husband — a vibrant, healthy man of only 56 years — to cardiac arrest.
- And I received a call from a longtime friend whose beloved wife had finally passed after a difficult illness.
Through it all, these moments remind me again: Life is often fragile. Hearts are often broken. And we must be the healing places in a world filled with wounded souls.
As one grieving niece put it so powerfully, "I have so many wounds, I don’t even know where they all are." That is the world we live in — and that is why we need stories of hope and healing more than ever.
Takeaways to Remember, Reflect, and Share
✅ The church — and our lives — must be places where broken hearts are healed. Healing, not judgment or bureaucracy, is the first mission.
✅ Transformation is more powerful than theology alone. Stanley Jones’s witness reminds us: living examples always outweigh mere words.
✅ Everyone carries unseen wounds. Compassion and gentleness should mark our encounters, because we never know the full story others are carrying.
✅ Jesus is not just a Savior, but a Healer. The work of Christ includes mending broken lives, broken relationships, and broken dreams.
✅ Be the answer to the little girl's question. Wherever you are — at church, in business, in friendships — let your presence affirm: "Yes, this is the place where broken hearts are healed."
Closing Reflections and a Call to Action
The little girl’s question still echoes today. The answer depends on us.
Are we willing to be places of healing, homes of compassion, havens of hope? Are we willing to say, in word and in deed, that broken hearts — and broken people — are welcome?
As we carry forward the spirit and mission of Stanley Jones, let us be bold in offering healing, hope, and help. Let us be fully alive — not by avoiding the wounds of the world, but by walking into them with love and healing power.
And I invite you:
- Share your story with us.
- Tell us how you have found healing — or how you are still seeking it.
- Become part of this living fellowship that believes Jesus still mends broken hearts today.
You can reach me personally at [email protected]. We’re building a worldwide community of storytellers, healers, and living witnesses to the hope that never fails.
Until next time, remember: Jesus is Lord. He is the Healer. And we are prisoners — not of despair — but of hope.
All blessings to you, Stan Hustad
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