When we feel our lives have been broken, we have a choice. We can stay that way or learn what it can teach us to make us stronger.
It makes me think of Kintsugi.
Around the 15th century, the Japanese invented a beautiful and meaningful form of art by repairing broken pottery or glass instead of throwing it away. They named it Kintsugi, which means “to join with gold.” They not only made the repairs, they made them using gold. By doing this, the new piece became even more beautiful, valuable, and stronger than the original.
If you’ve gone through a time in your life where you’ve felt shattered by the loss of a loved one, or your heart has been broken, or you’ve been the victim of someone else’s crime – or another deeply personal pain – it may seem like the pieces can never be put back together again.
But even in times like these we have choices. We can “self-medicate” to numb the pain so we don’t have to feel it. We can push it down and pretend it isn’t there. Either way, it will resurface again and again. Or, we can ask God for His help and His strength to face it and let Him heal us….
It’s in times that seem the darkest that some of us will see His light and His love reaching out to us for the first time. Something’s happened that’s so big, we finally reach out to Him. If you’re there today, wherever you are, do it. He is there. He’s always been there.
The Bible says in Psalm 34:18:“The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
In Psalm 23:3 it says, “He restores my soul.”
God can put our lives back together with lasting repairs that strengthen us at the same time. When we accept His help, we can be transformed and see our lives in a new way, celebrating the “imperfections” and help others too. It’s true that some things in life will leave scars, but scars are also evidence of healing too. You’re still here! So am I!
RESET HIGHER: Is something broken in your life? Will you decide to face it alone or pray and ask for God’s help?
2024 has been a year of being deep in the trenches, with occasional moments of my head being eye level. It has been marked by days of lies and other days of low lows. However, I have remained faithful to my daily Bible devotionals and reading scripture.
God has been with me in all the moments refining my heart, prayers from great friends, and lately encouragement from new faces in my life.
If we didn’t go through hard times how would we learn the joy that is always on the other side. For every dark emotion there is also a positive side to that emotion if we allow ourselves to see it and not get overwhelmed by the dark side.
This hard season has me to really look inside and hear God’s whispering words- I will never leave you or forsake you.
I’ve had to trust God so much even as I was sliding down the slippery slope of despair.
I chose to wake up thanking God for another day and simply trusting Him with every single step I have to take that day.
I’ve chosen to see the good in the world and people despite being let down time and time again with certain things and people. By doing this even with what I call my realist attitude, others call it being pessimistic, I’ve seen Gods abundant love for me and some pleasant blessings along the way.
God does not abandon us. He see’s us. He see’s my deep frustration with certain things, He see’s me crying in the closet so know else hears, He see’s me clutching to my cross necklace when I’m backed into a corner he hears me when I cry out to Him to give me wisdom for this delicate heart wrenching season I’m in.
God is and will always be my strong tower despite the circumstances.
I am a living example of God’s refining power.
I love the lyrics to a favorite song that talks about our scars being a source for the light to shine in.
In my world God is my light.
Michele, thank you for sharing from your heart. Yes, there are seasons in life that can be so difficult – I’ve been there too! It’s in these times we learn who God really is when we truly put our trust in Him, maybe for the first time because we “have to.” We can set our fears and anxiety aside and find rest in Him. It’s a personal, spiritual experience that goes deeper than the circumstances we are in. Like the gold that puts the pieces of Kintsugi pottery back together, God can and will repair our hearts and lives if we ask Him to.