Dropping your favorite mug and watching it shatter on the ground is so disappointing. Now it’s ruined and useless. There’s no other choice but to pick up the broken pieces and put it in the trash.
Truth is, life is full of broken pieces. There are broken dreams, broken promises, broken relationships, and the most painful, broken marriages. The grief can be crushing, stealing your hope. The damage can seem irreparable.
In Japan, an ancient practice called Kintsugi has experienced a reemergence. Kintsugi means “to patch with gold.” In essence, the ancient custom fixes cracked and broken stoneware. But that isn’t all. Once the pottery is pieced back together, the cracks and crevasses are sealed with lines of gold. Instead of hiding flaws, the artist highlights them. With a whole new design, the pottery becomes more beautiful and valuable. Sure, it was once broken. But now it’s even more valuable than before, with a whole new story.
This is just the opposite of how we repair a broken item. Working very hard, the flaws and scars are covered. But even then, the patch always seems ugly and not quite right. So, we ultimately discard it. Often, we do the very same thing when we experience brokenness in our lives. Hiding the pain and destruction, we vigorously try to keep a brave face. The scars seem covered but we still feel damaged and beyond repair.
That is not how God sees us, however. To Him we are never beyond healing, never too broken to mend. Yes, there are bruises, but to Him, they are nothing to hide. The lines on our hearts and crevices on our souls are a part of God’s story in our lives. And He can always use them as a picture of His restoration and love.
Brokenness has the power to bring forth beauty, strength, and inspiration. The scars of life, the healed wounds, the deep lines, are more than an end. Instead, they are a new beginning. And just like the beautiful art of Kintsugi, God’s grace takes our jagged edges, applies the gold of His healing hands, and makes our life a special new work of art. Isaiah 43:18-19(a) says: “Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” His love makes us stronger, better, and more beautiful than before.
It doesn’t matter how broken we feel, it’s never too much for God. We have a Healer, one who repairs, who can fit the broken pieces into a new and better design. We must just let Him.
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