When We Are Most Broken, God Is Most Present

Broken. The dictionary defines the meaning of this word as “reduced to fragments.” Another definition states that broken means “not functioning properly; out of working order”. A lot of times we use this word broken to describe our emotions or feelings. A broken heart, a broken spirit, a broken relationship, or whatever situation it is. But think about it, what happens when things are broken? Imagine a situation where a child’s toy breaks. They hand it over to their mom or dad, and their parents put it back together; they repair it. If the toy had not broken there would be no need for a parent to step in and fix the toy. I believe it is this same kind of brokenness that happens in our lives that sends us running to our Heavenly Father, who steps in and puts us back together.

We are broken down into these fragments that the definition talks about. These fragments represent pieces of our hearts that show who we truly are. Some of the pieces are ugly. Sometimes these ugly pieces reveal the sin issues that were once buried within, but now that they are broken and scattered, it is the perfect time for us to sort them out. A lot of time in order to combat the sin in our lives we HAVE to be broken, our comfort HAS to be taken away, so that way we HAVE to rely on God. It sucks, but it’s true and how lucky we to have a God willing to help us sort through these pieces. In the same way a child can’t fix the broken toy, we can’t fix our brokenness alone.

If anyone understands what it means to be broken its God. The act of his death on the cross gives a perfect image of what brokenness looks like. But a lot of times when we look at a cross we don’t see brokenness, we see hope. God used the seemingly broken state of his son, to restore the brokenness of humanity. God understands COMPELTELY what it means to be broken, and he knows how to COMPLETELY restore it. In the same way he can use the brokenness on the cross to ultimately save and redeem, he can use the brokenness in our lives to give way to truth and to restore our hearts.

As much as it hurts to be in a broken state I’m thankful that it happens. It is in times of brokenness that I grow closest to my Father and realize the authority he has over my life as well as His never ending love. He knows me better than I know myself, and despite the pain, I’m glad when He intervenes. 

Beyond the Telescope

There is something about the sunset and the sky in general that captivates me every time I look at it. I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels this way, but when the sun is setting at night or rising in the morning I could just stare at it for hours and watch as the colors and shapes shift into new forms. It amazes me that every time I look at a sunset I will NEVER ever see that exact arrangement of colors and clouds ever again. Sure there will be sunsets day in and day out but never will we see the exact same one. This thought gives me a whole new appreciation for them as I get the privilege of watching my Creator paint something NEW every day right before my eyes.

In many ways I feel like the sky represents life. The sky is enormous and mysterious. We can’t see all of it, but we still know it is beautiful even though we have hardly seen past the surface. Imagine the beauty that can’t be seen with the naked eye or even the world’s largest telescope. In the same way there is SO much in our life that we can’t see. Just like the sky, God created our lives and though we can’t see al of it, HE CAN and he knows the beauty that lies ahead and the beauty that lies within us that is screaming to come out. On gloomy days when the sky is masked with clouds it is easy to let what we see become how we feel. We see a sad looking day and it’s easy to feel glum and lack joy about the day God has given us. But that’s just it. We allow our impaired vision to tell us that what we see is all there is to it.

The sun is shining EVERY SINGLE DAY. It never ceases to rise, just because we can’t see it under the clouds doesn’t mean that it isn’t there. The same applies with life, when we are struggling or battling something in life we tend to feel trapped and hopeless, because all WE are seeing is what is in plain sight, but what GOD sees is the beauty that is ahead and the beauty that WILL ALWAYS come out of the pain. We can have faith that God knows what he is doing, just like we can have faith that the sun still exists when we don’t see it. God’s vision, unlike ours, is not impaired, but is perfect and all seeing.

It’s time we put the cheap telescopes away, appreciate the beauty we can see, but also remember there is SO MUCH MORE that God has ALL control over. What a refreshing feeling to know that beyond the pain there will ALWAYS be the hope of a sunrise.