Have you ever broken a glass and just thrown all of the pieces away? I often think as I do this, how useless the pieces are. That is such a lie. Not only can broken things be recycled or made into something new, the event that caused the breaking always teaches a lesson.
Through brokenness, I’ve learned how to survive. I’ve learned how to not simply trust God, but to rely on Him to provide financially, emotionally, provide healing, and opportunities. I’ve learned how to empathize with others. I’ve learned how to notice pain in others and be part of their healing.
Brokenness is the most painful feeling I’ve ever experienced. The events that led to my brokenness were defeating. As God brought me through the healing process of those events, He made it clear that brokenness is not an endpoint. It’s a point that turns my heart closer to Him, focused on learning and growing, and sets me up to eventually help others.
There are two things about brokenness to always remember. The first is that God uses broken people like you and me to rescue broken people like you and me. Everyone is broken at some point. Not one of us is perfect. We’ve all been through things that are difficult. We all have hurts to work through. Allow God to use those hurts as a time to teach you how to heal. Allow Him to use those healing times to teach you how to help other broken people.
The second thing I always remember about brokenness is that it is my choice whether I allow the broken pieces to turn me towards bitterness or beauty.
Bitterness can come through brokenness, if you let it.
Beauty can come, if you choose to grow through it.
May HIS glory be reflected in my scars.
Brokenness will leave scars, but what is reflected in those scars, whether ugly bitterness or beauty from healing, is my choice. Choose to allow God’s glory to be reflected in your scars and use your brokenness to help others who are broken.
Isaiah 64:8, “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
God, thank you for the amazing, gracious ability you have to take our broken pieces and make them into something valuable and useful. Help each of us to see ways in which your glory can be reflected in our scars. Help us to choose to cast off bitterness from our brokenness and choose the beauty of your healing. Amen.
Nikki Rasmussen
