Have you ever felt like your heart was broken beyond repair? Loss causes us feel broken, whether it is because of a death, a fractured relationship or a crushed dream. Feeling broken causes us to feel hopeless.
There is a wonderful form of Japanese art called Kintsugi. The artist mends broken pottery by using a
special lacquer mixed with gold, silver or platinum. So, instead of trying to hide the cracks, the brokenness is accentuated, causing the piece of pottery to be more beautiful than it ever was before.
That is what God does with our brokenness. When we give our broken parts to Him, He makes us into a beautiful, new masterpiece. He uses our broken pieces to accentuate His mercy and grace.
Isaiah 43:19
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
I read this verse earlier this year when I was feeling particularly broken and it caused my heart to stir with hope. It reminded me that my circumstances wouldn’t last forever and that God would make a way for me to experience restoration.
He is doing just that. He is not only restoring my broken heart, but He is using the broken pieces to accentuate His handiwork.
I have been writing a book for quite a while. Actually, I feel like I’ve written it over about 20 times by now. It is called Victorious Heart and it is the story about the loss of our daughter Nicole 19 years ago. More than that, it is about how God has carried us and is still carrying us through the grief of losing her. It has been a restorative time as I have had to visit places I had long buried.
I am so blessed to be able to tell you that I have been offered a publishing deal for Victorious Heart. It is more than I ever dreamed of and I am humbled by the whole thing. I am in the final steps of editing right now and will post more as the process continues.
There have been times that sorrow over the loss of Nicole, loss of others I dearly loved or the loss of a dream made me feel like I was broken beyond repair. I know I still will experience brokenness in my life, because I live in a broken world. However, when I look for it, I see His work. He is continually making me new.
So, if you are feeling broken right now – don’t give up. Don’t despair, God is working in your brokenness to create a masterpiece of hope and healing.