By: Shark

Read: Exodus 37:1-38:31, Matthew 28:1-20, Psalm 34:11-22, Proverbs 9:9-10

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
(Psalm 34:17-18)

Relate: In Japan, there is a practice called Kintsugi, in which they fill the cracks of broken pottery with gold. The cracks, the fractures… The brokenness that was there as a mistake is highlighted rather than hidden. When I learned of this practice, I thought of the poetry of it all—how beautiful it was that the object’s flaws were not repaired by erasing them, its flaws were now what made it unique. As I sat with that, my heart seized up inside my chest. The idea that flaws and imperfections could be embraced rather than reviled was baffling to me, especially considering how the end result of Kintsugi was gorgeous. This was mostly because when I looked at myself in the mirror, it was hard not to cry at the mere sight of my image because all I saw was brokenness. 

We are born broken. Every single one of us is born broken. This is a simple fact of life. But I felt hopeless. Just as life is long, it is short. I could not grasp the possibility that I could be repaired and made whole again. However, Kintsugi taught me something incredibly profound: the story does not end with brokenness, rather, it is when metamorphosis begins to take place.

When we are crushed by the weight of life, it is often our first reaction to hide our brokenness and to identify ourselves as failures. But just as in the practice of kintsugi where a masterful craftsman takes the time and care to put shattered pottery back together, God takes our broken pieces and makes something beautiful out of us. The broken person who said and did the wrong thing. The broken person who hurt someone else. The broken person who turned away from Him. The broken person who forgot about God’s grace. 

Every imperfection, every wound, every failure? They become part of the story He is writing. We are transformed into a testimony of His grace.

React: This is why God is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. He does not discard anyone. The cracks in your heart, in your person, are not signs that you have been crushed and defeated. They are signs that God is creating something that glitters and shines its light onto others.

One important thing must take place, however. We must cry out for help. He cannot repair us if we don’t allow Him to work in our hearts. We must trust in Him and let His promise take root in us. It is only then will we instill in ourselves that our brokenness is not cause for insecurity, shame, or self-hatred. Like kintsugi, your scars become what makes you unique and beautiful. And we will become the reflection of God’s healing work.

Respond:

Dear God,
Thank you for keeping near me when I feel broken and crushed. May I remember to trust you in writing my story because you are more than able to take something, someone broken and make something beautiful out of it. Allow my life and my pain to be a testimony of your love and grace.
Amen.