Beauty in the Brokenness

A while ago, my husband and I awoke in the middle of the night to a loud thud. The sound was so loud that we both feared someone was trying to break into our house. My brave husband grabbed his flashlight, went toward the sound, and returned to say, “Mugs just fell.” Relieved it was something seemingly minor, we rolled over and went back to sleep.

But when morning came, I saw the scene for myself.

This wasn’t just one or two glasses; it was years’ worth of my cup collection on the floor. Remnants of family vacations, memories of my friend’s travels, surprise gifts, and other fun occasions lay strewn across my kitchen floor (along with some precious Mississippi-made pottery).

There they all were – completely shattered.

A few weeks after this incident, I came home to see my husband sitting at our kitchen table. Surrounding him were shards, chips, chunks, and large pieces of glass from those very items broken days earlier.

“What are you doing?” I asked him.

“Putting your broken pieces back together,” he replied with a smile.

Little did I know, my dear husband had been researching a type of Japanese art called “Kintsugi.” The practice stems from the word “Kintsukuroi,” which, translated, means “golden repair.” In this process, the Japanese typically use lacquer mixed with gold, silver, or bronze flakes to repair broken pottery, ceramics, or other objects. Once put back together, the cracks remain, but they are highlighted and mended with gold.

I’ll be honest, I thought those mugs were all headed for the trash (and would have been if it were up to me). Yet, there my husband sat, mending what I thought was too far gone. He was making beauty out of shatters.

I couldn’t help but stare.

He carefully examined each piece like a puzzle, ensuring he placed it in its correct spot. And when he found each perfect piece, he took messy gold goop and glued it back together. As the lacquer began to dry, shiny gold shimmered through the shards.

As I watched my husband, I was reminded of how our Heavenly Father does the same with our brokenness.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget the power of the Lord’s grace and forgiveness. Instead of accepting the gift He so freely gives, the enemy can convince us that our bad choices trap and break us in ways that can never be mended.

In these moments of regret, the enemy often reminds us of past mistakes, sins, and other dreadful memories we wish we could forget. And if we listen to those lies, we surely find ourselves shattered on the floor.

In reality, the Lord has something so much better in store for us if we follow Him.

In the Bible, there are many men and women whom God used despite their pasts and life choices. One of these once-misguided individuals, whom I often think about, is Paul.

Before Christ, he hated Christians, going so far as to murder and torture them; and he even claimed that at a time he wanted to “destroy the church” (Galatians 1:13). But once he met Jesus, things began to change. Although he was a man who had done very terrible things, the Lord and His goodness began to change his hard heart.

And in return? Paul praised his maker!

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Because of the power of Christ, Paul’s weaknesses, sins, and poor choices were replaced by the Lord’s grace, kindness, and mercy. The Lord made beauty out of someone the world would have said was beyond repair!

He can do the same for us.

He will replace our shatters with beauty and make us new in Him. His stream of golden grace stands ready to repair all that the enemy said was irreparable. So, the question is, will we let Him?

And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true” (Revelation 21:5).