Broken Beginnings
When we think of something broken, we may imagine something worthless, imperfect and full of flaws. Life can be very delicate. Things break, no matter how good we take care of them. Some of the strongest people can be broken just by a word or careless action. Hurt people can and will hurt other people. Bad things happen to good people, and no matter how skilled we are, we cannot avoid pain; it is part of life.
How we handle our broken pieces can establish a new beginning for us. Jesus looks at the broken as beautiful and so valuable.
We are in a “throw away” society. Things are often junked when they don’t perform as they should. People–if expectations are not met–can be thrown away too.
Healing Brokenness
Thankfully God doesn’t throw away people. No one is worthless to Him. No matter how “far gone” someone is, Jesus can reach them. Isaiah 42:3 tells us, “He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt, and he won’t disregard the small and insignificant, but he’ll steadily and firmly set things right.”
In the 15th century, there was a practice in Japan that repaired broken pottery vessels in a unique way. When pottery was broken, the traditional way was to glue the broken pieces back together. The flaws were easily seen, and, in most cases, the pottery was thrown away.
Then the idea of using valuable gold and silver resin instead of glue came into practice. As the gold resin was poured into the broken areas it showed elegance and beauty and this brought attention and value to the imperfections. This was practice was called Kintsugi.
In our faith, this also happens and shows us that–through our imperfections and brokenness–we discover the unconditional love of God. Jesus is poured into our cracked clay pots and holds us together. God loves the broken, and His ultimate plan is not to fix us, but to pour His precious value into us.
The Way of Healing
Taking our “broken pieces” of pain and disappointment and surrendering them to Jesus is our way to healing.
Often holding our pain is easy because it is what we know, and it comes naturally. Learning to let go is the first start in our healing process. Troubles are too heavy for us to bear alone–we were never made to carry burdens.
Jesus was broken so we could be made whole. His broken body, as the Bread of Life, feeds and nourishes our fragile, anemic lives. His destruction was not the end of His story; it was a new beginning.
Here are a few ways to let go of the broken pieces:
- Just let God love you
- Speak to God in prayer about your pain
- Not trying to fix what is wrong
- Drawing near to life-giving people
- See the pattern that has tripped you up
- Speak life and hope of you and your situation, by faith
- Agree and relate to yourself the way God sees you
From Death to Life
It is easier to thank God when things are going well, but what about when things are bad?
In a recent conversation, my heart was sobered. A man poured out his agony with such intensity it seemed to me the infrastructure of his soul was crumbling. The darkness he was feeling clouded his clear thinking and thoughts of suicide seemed like the only way of relief. His cycle of regret only magnified his despair. He felt so much anguish!
God meets us in this bottomless emotional cavern. He whispers life and hope in this thick darkness.
Even here in this brokenness, there can be new beginnings.
We have all hurt. People may never understand the depth of our pain, but Jesus went through agony and came out triumphant. He became the worst so that He could always be our provision. He suffered for others, He became a curse so that we would never again live in a curse.
In Hebrews 5:8, “Though He was God’s Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.”
There are no mistakes in God’s plan. God is always working and we are being changed to be like Him.
Jesus is moving us from our place to His place. It is a process that is moment-by-moment, step-by-step.
In Colossians 1:13, we see Jesus as our great deliver; “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”
Collapse in the arms of love today, look away from the ashes and look into Jesus eyes of love – He is holding you!
Loss
Loss. It can be a BIG word.
A house, relationship, work or reputation can be stripped away in an instant. That which we have worked so hard for is suddenly gone. Our brains can be like a runaway train thinking about certain scenarios. Let’s take the word loss as a hostage for a moment and see what it really is.
A loss is when something meaningful is taken away involuntarily. Fear is often associated with loss; even before we lose what we hold dear, we valiantly struggle to hold on to it.
We have all heard the infamous statement, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” from FDR’s first inaugural address in 1932.
Fear is the greatest thief.
Fear can grow as we fixate on potential or actual loss. The “what if’s” and the “should have done’s” in life can make us second guess ourselves. To struggle to maintain all things at optimum height is a pipe dream and an overestimation of ourselves.
We can enjoy our possessions without letting our possessions possess us.
Yes, loss can hurt, but is it really all bad?
Often things are removed to allow something greater to be realized.
We attach ourselves, becoming entrenched in things that we know and have become accustomed to. Abrupt change can wake us up to new realities, causing us to reassess and reevaluate our routines. Pain associated with loss shows us we are alive.
Pain can eclipse and cause paralysis but working through this personal valley is transforming.
God often changes us before He changes our situations.
In 2 Kings 4:38-41, wild gourds were added to the stew and it became poisonous. There was death in the pot! Flour had to be added to save the lives those they were serving. What we add can replace poison in our own lives. Jesus is the flour. His mercy takes away what we deserve and His grace gives us immeasurable favor.
Here is a good compass to help navigate:
- Perspective. A new “normal” creates new thoughts and goals.
- Don’t sweat the small stuff. The shallow “stuff” is often forgotten.
- True needs. Desires and wants can cloud the reality of what we were made for.
- Prioritize what matters to you rather than what is important to people.
Grace Creates
Grace is always creating something new. Looking at the beginning of the Bible we see that God created the heavens and the earth from nothing. He spoke life into the darkness and void. Grace is the spiritual “Genesis” (rebirth) in our lives; it creates something out of our nothingness. Grace builds a new life and a new beginning, and we are the objects of His grace.
Receiving grace and letting God love us is the secret to healing and strength for everyday living. Christ brings life from brokenness; He revives us to hope again through His resurrection power.
The temptation is to try to fix the broken things in our lives in our own strength; Christ is the Great Healer; He can make something beautiful from the ashes.
Life may seem like it is falling apart, but with God, it is falling into a new place. You may feel like you lost some ground, or were blown off your course, but know that God is near.
As time and trials whether the soul, we will change, but through it all we learn Jesus is faithful and worthy to be trusted. It is human nature to want to know why things happen the way that they do but we may not have all the answers until we stand before Jesus face-to-face. New beginnings are realized as we discover who is with us and what is being added to our life. God’s purpose is to add depth and maturity of His wisdom and love.
Your experiences will be a great vehicle to identify and give hope to those who struggle around us.
Time eventually gives more wrinkles and scars, but everything is designed to lead us to Jesus. He understands, cares and hears the cry of the broken heart. Fellowshipping with His words holds and strengthen us and creates new beginnings. No one can love us as Jesus can, and nothing is more powerful than His unchanging love. Our failure is never the end of His story, it is just a beautiful beginning.