Broken and Beautiful

Verse: 

“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

It was our fourth vacation day at the beach. 
Our youngest daughter and I ventured down the beach, eager to find at least one intact shell for our vacation collection. She had been filling her purple bucket with shells every day; however they were mostly broken. As I looked inside with little interest, I realized that these were remains of what once were large, beautiful sand dollars, massive conchs and shells of all kinds.

That was just not going to work. I was determined to find one intact large shell to bring home. 

Our adventure remained unproductive as the hour went by and each scoop of wet sand revealed another broken shell. After reaching down once again to sift the sand, I spotted my daughter, skipping in my direction, holding what seemed to be the inside of a horse conch. Her eyes, beaming with excitement: “Oh, mommy, look! It is so beautiful!” I picked it up and was ready to shrug, in frustration, when I heard Him whisper: “Look again… It is broken… and beautiful. Much like My children are.”

There are moments in life when time stands still and our perspective turns 180 degrees to consider life from a new angle. That was one of those moments. I knelt down beside my daughter, seeing the twisted piece in her tiny hand in a new way. Broken… and simply beautiful.

A flashback of life danced in my mind as I contemplated the large shell piece: Shattering moments in the past; painful situations that caused me to break time and again. Sin that shattered my soul until my Redeemer made me whole. Broken pieces. That was me. 

No, wait a minute. That IS me.

In a moment I realized that everything that I’ve ever done and ever gone through make me who I am.

“Oh, if I could ever go back!” How many times have we wasted time wishing we could go back and fix life!

On that beautiful day at the beach, holding a broken shell, I fully grasped the fact that, had I never been broken, I would not have known my Savior and experienced His redeeming, restoring love. For the first time since I’ve known grace, I truly embraced my brokenness as beautiful. 

God loves broken shells. 

Because I’ve been broken, I have seen the ugliness of sin for what it is… and invited Him to cleanse me and give me a new heart… He cleanses broken shells. 

Because I’ve been broken, I can look at my brothers and sisters with compassion when they fail. And instead of judging them with unmerciful and self-righteous pride, extend them sympathy, forgiveness and love... He uses broken shells. 

Because I’ve been broken, when my neighbor is hurting, I remember the pain. And remember to give. And pray for them… He softens broken shells. 

Because I’ve been broken, and although the scars shall forever be a reminder of His deliverance and undeserving grace, my heart found peace and joy in Him… God restores broken shells.

Broken and beautiful. Just as God has chosen to use me to proclaim His mercies and be useful in His kingdom, I have chosen to bring a bag filled with beautiful broken shells home from the beach. They will be put in a vase and placed on my study desk: Beautiful memories of lazy days at the beach with the family I love and a fresh reminder of who I am in Christ: Broken, but whole. Scarred, but beautiful.

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature;

the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

2 Corinthians 5:17

Reflection:

Do you find yourself grieving over sins of your past? Or wishing that life was different than what it is today?  

Surrender your brokenness to Him. Because if you are His child, your hurt has a distinct purpose. Whether it is to cleanse you, strengthen or prepare you, even though you cannot see His purpose, dare to trust Him. You will look back one day and understand that, in the process of breaking you, He was remaking you. And when He’s done remaking that very part that was once broken, He will use you in a mighty way. 

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4 (NASB)

BROKEN & BEAUTIFUL 

Music & Lyrics

By

 Mark Schultz

My Latest Column for the AJC: "Spread God's Love One Box At A Time"

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God's Promises Are Forever!

 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, "SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE."  Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Romans 4:18-22 

I was on my way to lunch and as I approached my car, I read my brand-new license plate frame: “No worries – God’s got it covered!”. I started laughing at myself, thinking of the irony of the statement as I searched my heart that day. I was having one of those days - the devil was on to me, attacking from every front, trying to destroy my testimony, trying to limit my vision to only what I could see at the moment.

Then I read about Abraham and his faith. He did not regard his old body and Sarah’s dead womb. He knew that “God had got it covered”. My license plate frame should be his! Looking at the obstacles ahead of him and his limited resources, he chose to trust God, obey Him and wait on Him. He lived his faith and because of that, he made it possible for each of us who confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior to receive God’s righteousness as our inheritance:

Romans 4:11: “He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them”.

I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful it is to read that today! Mainly because I know Abraham’s story - his life was marked by mistakes, sins and failures, as much as with wisdom and goodness. But because of his faith ALONE, he inherited his promise and was found righteous before God. Not because of his works, his good days or bad days, but because of his solemn trust in God and His Word. That completely changes the paradigm of righteousness - my righteousness is not based on how I behave, on the bad days I have, but based on the faith that I placed in Jesus as my Savior and Lord, wherefore I inherited God’s righteousness and His promises.

On days like this, I cling to the thought that my not-so-perfect heart attitude can never move God’s love and acceptance. I cling to the promise Abraham received and that I inherited in Christ Jesus: the promise that, no matter what happens, God’s plan will be fulfilled in my life. All I have to do is trust and obey. One step at a time. In the meantime, I’m being conformed to His image, as He works on the rough edges, teaches me to love unconditionally, forgive always.

On days like this, I remember that worry and fret are simply a waste of time, because God’s plan for me has not changed. Sometimes I cannot see where He is leading me, but I know His plan is perfect and will unfold in His perfect time. Abraham saw his body get older, Sarah’s menopause come, and kept on believing. He kept his eyes on his (unseen) promise.  

 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1

What is the prize that lies before you? Where is your Promise Land?

I challenge you to cling to His promise, asking God to teach you how to accept the trials that test your faith and learn to praise God in spite of your circumstances, all the way to your Promised Land!

 As for me, I'm going back to my car and face my cool license plate frame. When I look at it this time, it's not going to be a joke anymore. It's my heart's song: "No worries, God's got it covered!".    

Lord, thank you for the awesome inheritance of righteousness and the promises that I received by faith when I accepted Jesus as my Savior. Help me to look past my current circumstances, into the promises that You give me in Your Word. Help me to see that the tests and trials I am going through are tools that you use to strengthen my faith. Help me remember that “You are not a man, that You should lie, nor a son of man, that you should feel repentance for what You have promised (Numbers 23:19 – Amplified). I choose to trust you today that you will fulfill each one of your promises to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.