Broken beauty

 Broken Beauty

This one is going to take a minute so go ahead and curl up in your cozy chair with your favorite glass of tea. Oh yeah, which reminds me of a story. When I was little my Dad had a favorite glass. It was big and it was green. When I saw the glass it made me smile and think of my dad. Maybe that’s why I see green now and smile and think of my dad even still today. So anyway, he would cut the grass and come in and drink a big glass of water from that glass. One night my parents were out square dancing and my brother was babysitting me. I wanted to drink from that glass. To me it was like the holy grail because I looked up to my father so much. Well, I dropped it. Did I mention it was a glass? Broken into a thousand pieces. I was devastated. My brother helped me clean it up and we threw it all away. Of course, we got in trouble but all was forgiven and forgotten. 

Ever feel broken? Like your pieces are all over the place in a thousand places? Forgotten? Need to be forgiven? 

In an April 2017 article called “Finding beauty in brokenness: Christ came to heal and redeem” by Debbie McDaniel it states a few important things...

“You are never beyond healing. You are never too broken for restoration. You are never too shattered for repair. Don’t be ashamed for your scars, of the deep crevices that line your soul, or the broken places of your life. They have an amazing story to tell.”

Our brokenness tells a story. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by a father that loves us. Do you think my Dad stopped loving me because of a brokenness? No, He loved me anyway. I was His and that didn’t change anything. It doesn’t with our Heavenly Father either.

In Isaiah 64:8 it says, “O Lord you are our father; we are the clay and you our Potter... He made us and He loves us. Many pots are made of clay. 

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7. So I’m thinking God is the potter and We are the clay so there is a power within us from Him. If we’re broken and it’s hard to put the pieces back together then we’re going to have a few holes. So we are a little cracked and maybe a little leaky. Haha! So wouldn’t God and His power come thru and His love shine thru? Yes!

In Japan, broken objects are often repaired with gold. The flaw is seen as a unique piece of the objects history, which adds to its beauty and to its value. Consider this when you feel broken.

Remember the child’s song we sang in Vacation Bible School about a little light? I know you can hear the tune in your head right now. Let’s sing it together...

”This little light of mine. I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine!”

Maybe all of a sudden this means something more as an adult. The cracks and the brokenness is where God’s love shows even more to others. It shows...”Hey, I have been thru something but I am a child of God. I belong to Him and He loves me.” Please look and see His light shine thru and that He can help you thru your brokenness. There is beauty and value in your brokenness. Do you get that? Are you reminded of this as your singing ...This little light of mine I’m gonna let it shine? Sing it loud and proud and let it shine bright. 

So we’re broken and spilled out. Hmmm, so what’s spilling out? His light? His love? Or Complaints? Bitterness? We are all broken but what we do with that is what matters most. Yep, still singing, “This little light of mine I’m gonna let it shine...”

Psalm 119:105 states...”Your word

is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path”. My prayer has often been...”Dear Lord, please just give me light enough to see the next step.” What if our brokenness and our light wasn’t just showing the light for our path but for others that need to see Him too? 

Leonard Chen says...

“Ring the bells 

that still can ring 

Forget your 

perfect offering

There is a crack

in everything

That’s how 

the light gets in.”

Ah, so even still where as the cracks of the brokenness are is where the light gets in. Well then, the more we are broken the more God can get in. He is our potter and we are the clay. He gets in so we can spill His love out. 

There is a song by Steve Green called “Broken and Spilled Out”.

Please read the lyrics here. Please feel the lyrics here...

One day a plain village woman

Driven by love of her Lord

Recklessly poured out 

A valuable essence

Disregarding the scorn

And once it was broken 

And spilled out

A fragrance filled the room

Like a prisoner released 

From His shackles Like a spirit

Set free from the tomb

Broken and spilled out

Just for love for you Jesus

My most precious treasure

Lavished on thee

Broken and spilled out

And poured at your feet

In sweet abandon

Let me be spilled out

And used up for thee

Lord, you were 

Gods precious treasure

His loved and His one perfect Son

Sent here for me 

The love of the Father 

Just for love it was done

And though you were 

Perfect and holy

You gave up 

Yourself willingly 

You spared no expense

For my pardon

You were used up 

And wasted for me

Broken and spilled out

Just for love of me Jesus

Gods most precious treasure

Lavished on me

You were broken and spilled out

And poured at my feet

In sweet abandon Lord 

You were spilled out

And used up for me

In sweet abandon 

Let me be spilled out

And used up for thee 

So, I’ll end up up with that. As you’re still curled up with your favorite glass of sweet tea. If you spill a little of the sweetness or if you drop and break your favorite glass in a thousand pieces or by chance if it’s you that’s broken remember this... “ In sweet abandon, let me dear Lord in my brokenness be spilled out and used up for Thee.