Broken and Beautiful

I have been through things that have broken my life. And I trust Him to never leave me there. He is the Father who will pick me up when I am fallen, broken, hurt, tired. And He is the Father who fixes me in those broken places. He fixes my spirit, my heart, my sadness, my loneliness. He brings joy and peace and refuge so I am stronger now than before I was broken.

He watched the pieces fall apart, but only so He could put me back together the right way. When life happens and I feel like things are falling apart, breaking into pieces, I just remind myself that He can’t fix what isn’t broken and He often breaks me in order to shape me into the woman He created me to be. Those places that are broken may not have been broken by Jesus, but each and every time a part of me is broken He comes to restore me and renew me. He comes not to glue the pieces back together, but to use the pieces to build a masterpiece created my Father and known to Jesus before the beginning of time. Some things are broken due to the residual effects of sin in another person's life. Maybe we are the recipient of sin's consequences that we didn't commit. That hurts, and it's hard. It stings and the pain will pour forth, yet He is building on the foundation of the Lord and the promises of His Word.

The props have been pulled out from under me this week. Not the seen ones, like relationship, finances, my home. But the unseen ones, the false ones I've made with my own hands. Fear has come to visit, sneaking through the cracked back door rather than knocking at the front. And he secretly tried to steal away Truth before I even knew he was in the house. He is so crafty, that I take him on as my very identity: I am Afraid, I hear myself say. And in the saying, I practice the presence of Fear, rather than rest in the safety of God. Jesus says His spirit within me is one of power, love and a sound mind. But He whispers, while Fear screams. Fear screams for me to run away. But God beckons me, Come. Fear pushes me to perfectionism.

But God whispers I have already overcome.

And so I stand on the Rock and watch as the sand sinks swiftly down. To be love-led rather than fear-driven is to stand on the rock. Where are my feet today?

I am reminded of the saying, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' and I wonder aloud as I make my way through the toys and the clothes of my workplace, "who is my beholder?" Am I letting Christ hold me or am I struggling to hold myself up knowing my strength is fleeting. Contrary to what our media/culture has to say, my Lord loves me and made me the way He desired. The pain and brokenness of my life and of my past are details in His painting and the Lord has made everything good. He has fulfilled His promise to bring beauty out of ashes and release from darkness for prisoners! I am free and I pray that each day I am becoming more like my savior, beautiful!

~We all fall short. We all have sinned. But when you let God's grace break in... It's beautiful, Beautiful. Come as you are, surrender your heart. Broken and Beautiful. ~Mark Schultz