Beautifully Broken

Gracefully Broken!

I was in Dollar Tree last night and there was a lady and two kids behind me in the LONG line. One was a big kid, one was a toddler. The bigger one had a pack of glow sticks and the baby was screaming for them so the Mom opened the pack and gave him one; which stopped his tears. He walked around with it smiling, but then the bigger boy took it and the baby started screaming again.

Just as the Mom was about to fuss at the older child, he bent the glow sticks and handed it back to the baby. As we walked outside at the same time, the baby noticed that the stick was now glowing and his brother said “I had to break it so you could get the full effect from it.” I almost ran because l could hear God saying to me, “I had to break you to show you why I created you. You had to go through it so you could fulfill your purpose.”

That little baby was happy just swinging that “unbroken” glow stick around in the air because he didn’t understand what it was created to do which was “glow”. 

There are some people who will be content just “being” but some of us that God has chosen, we have to be “broken”. We have to get sick. We have to lose a job. We go through divorce. We have to bury our spouse, parents, best friend, or our child because, in those moments of desperation, God is breaking us but when the breaking is done, then we will be able to see the reason for which we were created. 

So when you see us glowing just know that we have been broken but healed by his Grace and Mercy!!! 

Disclaimer borrowed. Not original writer! Author unknown.

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Only yesterday I was thinking about how God needed a widow to save Elijah and He only found the right one in Zarephath, Sidon. She is called a widow so it is clear she had a husband at a point. She lost on one end and gained on the other. It stunned me the number of times I challenged God’s knowledge and fairness because the process or the outcome wasn’t what I wanted. I know it is madness to even contemplate challenging God yet at that point I didn’t see any other way to get answers.

It took a while to understand the truth of Romans 8:28 “…And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose…” but in time I did.

Nothing is wasted, no experience in life is for nothing; there is a plan and purpose if I take the time to understand the bigger picture. Looking back, I now know that my life has been moving along a perfect trajectory to get me to where I am today that I can be relevant to the situation of someone reading this page.

I didn’t always like the process. I didn’t always see the light. I didn’t always choose the right path. I didn’t always want to listen to the people around or respond to the questions asked. I didn’t even believe that I could make the needed change and I had to find ways to be happy even when God wasn’t interested in my happiness; at least I thought He wasn’t interested.

It all changed when I really listened to some conversations. I heard stories of suffering that brought joy. I heard stories of people willing to lay down their lives for others to rise and become something. I learnt of lonely places, desolate spaces, dark paths that brought forth people of depth, clear intent and purpose. I learnt of sunrises some hated and sunsets that were welcomed with open arms. I learnt of people who couldn’t change for anyone and didn’t care if this would affect others.

I found broken people like me who had found healing and renewal going on to become greater than they could be in the past. These broken people changed when they came across the compensatory actions God has in place for us in our walk. I learnt that I too could be loved unconditionally and it changed my path.

It became clear…

1       The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
    He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters,
    He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalms 23

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