The Broken
Parts of Our Lives.
When I look
back on the events in my life that broke my heart, I can see how grief has changed
me. The pain in other people’s lives made me want to listen to and help them. My
own pain taught me lessons, like how a parent feels when a child rebels and
enters into a self-destructive life, and how one feels when someone they love
has died. I understand the pain of divorce and mental illness. My heart goes
out to those who are suffering and has led me to donate to charities.
Having gone
through poverty and a few months of homelessness, I look with pity on people
who wander the streets and go through garbage cans. I have a deep desire to
give to the poor. Without my own suffering, I probably would have gone on as I
did when I was young, happy and carefree, not giving a thought to those who are
hurting.
I have seen
images of broken pottery being compared to our lives and the caption is usually
something like this: “God shines best through our broken spaces.” I decided to
paint this image. When I sent a photo of my painting to a friend, he wrote a
letter back and told me his story of a broken urn. I want to share this with
everyone.
“Around 20 years ago, my wife’s brother was helping us carry
items into the house from the cargo bay of our SUV. We had been shopping at a
Target Store and had purchased a very large painted ceramic urn that we wanted
to use as a decorative indoor accent. We had a hand truck (dolly), but her
brother, being a macho man, insisted that he could bear hug the urn and carry
it in by himself. We reluctantly agreed to let him do it. He was 10 feet
from where we wanted the urn positioned when he lost his grip and it fell to
the floor and shattered. At first, we thought the urn was a total loss,
but it was so expensive that my wife wanted to see if she could salvage
it. Fortunately, most of the pieces were large, enabling her to
"work the jigsaw puzzle" and glue them back together. When she
finished, we were amazed at the result.
The urn wound up having more character and looking more
interesting and beautiful than it was before it was broken. It was
"perfectly imperfect." The glue bulged from the cracks a little and
turned a tan color, making it appear that the urn was draped in rope. We
have had the urn proudly displayed in our family room ever since with an
artificial palm tree inside it. It is a conversation starter. Visitors notice
it immediately and remark how lovely it is. They don't believe it when we tell
them how it "came together" by accident.”
I believe God allows pain in our lives to make us into better
people. Unfortunately, we don’t learn much from a wonderful day at Disneyland.
I know death, pain and suffering are a result of sin and come from Satan and
everyone shares in that pain. We were given no choice to be born into a fallen
world, but God gives us each a chance to follow him. If we do, instead of anger
and bitterness at our lot, learning of God’s love for us and the world will melt our hearts
and we can learn good from evil. God’s
rescue plan is vast, he has many ways of reaching out to us, and not all of
them involve pain. In fact, it was the birth of my first daughter that made me
turn my face towards God. I wanted to be a good mother and knew I couldn’t do
it without him.
There is a wonderful chapter in the Book of Psalms. It shows
in detail how God draws people to himself. I hope you will take the time to
read it. Each example of people in terrible trouble ends in praise to God. I’ve
shortened the chapter:
Psalm 107
Some
wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to a city to dwell in;
hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way
till they reached a city to dwell in.
Some sat in
darkness and in the shadow of death,
prisoners in affliction and in irons,
for they had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
they fell down, with none to help.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and burst their bonds apart.
Some were
fools through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
they loathed any kind of food,
and they drew near to the gates of death.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destruction.
Some went
down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the great waters;
they saw the deeds of the LORD,
his wondrous works in the deep.
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their evil plight;
they reeled and staggered like drunken men
and were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them
thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!
