About 20 years ago, on one of my brother’s many work trips overseas, he brought me a beautiful blown-glass ornament in different shades of blue and purple. It was delicate, so I kept it safely tucked away in my china cabinet.
A couple of years ago, I decided to move that cabinet. I carefully removed all the dishes and treasures so nothing would be damaged. But when I picked up that beautiful ornament, the ribbon came untied. It slipped from my hands and fell toward my hardwood floor. I desperately tried to catch it, but there was nothing I could do. It hit the floor and shattered into more pieces than I could count.
I cried.
When something made of glass breaks, our instinct is to sweep up the pieces and throw them away. They’re sharp. They’re dangerous. And they no longer resemble what they once were. That was certainly true of my beautiful ornament.
But what if the broken pieces aren’t meant to be discarded? What if they can become part of something entirely new?
There are seasons when our lives feel much the same way. Something breaks. A relationship, a dream, a plan, or maybe even our picture of who we thought we would become. But God doesn’t look at the broken pieces of our lives and see something destined for the trash. When we bring our brokenness to Him, He picks up the pieces.
Have you ever walked along a beach and found sea glass? I think it is so beautiful! But did you know that sea glass begins as broken pieces of glass? Over time, those pieces are tossed by ocean waves and beaten against rocks and sand until the rough, sharp edges become smooth.
I think that’s such a beautiful picture of what God can do with us. He uses His Word, His mercy and grace, and His unfailing love to work on those rough and broken places. It doesn’t mean our brokenness never happened or that every scar disappears. Instead, He can take those very parts of our stories and redeem them, creating something beautiful that can be used for His glory.
God promises in Joel 2:25, “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten.” Restoration doesn’t always mean putting everything back exactly the way it was. Sometimes God does something entirely new with what remains.
At Praise, Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice this October, we’re going to spend some time talking about what God can do with the broken pieces of our stories. And you might even get to create a little reminder to take home with you.
Be watching for registration details coming soon, make plans to join us, and come hear the rest of the story!
