"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed." Psalm 34:18 (NLT)
A couple of weeks ago I was watching a craft video. Not personally being good at artistic endeavors, I am often awed by what people figure out how to make. This particular video interested me because it began with a lady picking out beautiful tiles. She chose many vivid solid colors along with some eye-catching patterns and I wondered what she was going to do with them.
She carried the assortment back to her home and laid them all out. To me, just seeing them laid out all together was beautiful. She then began choosing one tile at a time and, with a hammer, began breaking them into pieces. After all the tiles were broken, she began carefully choosing pieces and placing them on the surface of an old table. Beginning in the middle, she worked outward, arranging the pieces into a colorful mosaic. When she was unable to find a piece that fit a space the way she wanted it to, she broke it again and again until she was satisfied. Of course, as you have figured out, the result was a gorgeous new tabletop. Had she not broken all the tiles, she would not have been able to create such a masterpiece.
As I was pondering what I had watched, the hymn "Have Thine Own Way" began to play in my head. The line that says, "Thou art the potter, I am the clay" jumped out at me. When a potter is molding clay, if something isn't just right, he will pound the clay back down into a lump. This helps with the consistency of the clay. It also removes air bubbles. The result is that whatever he is making holds up to the heat of the kiln and comes out sturdy. He then paints and decorates it as he sees fit.
Scripture tells us, as in today's verse, that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. I find it so touching that these words were penned by David, "the man after God's own heart." David was not ashamed to cry out to the Lord. When he felt threatened, he turned to his Creator. When he sinned, although it might take some time, he repented. When he suffered a broken heart, he knew that God was with him. He wasn't a perfect man. Far from it. But I have always admired his relationship with the Father.
We all know how it feels to be broken. We have all experienced loss, great disappointment, the death of dreams, and the feeling of failure. I want you to know that during those times, your Savior is near. Not only that, but He takes all those times of brokenness and uses them to create a masterpiece. Nothing is ever wasted with Him. Romans 8:28 tells us, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." All things. The good and the bad. That includes the broken pieces as well.
This last year has been a struggle for everyone. So many lives have been lost. So many hearts are shattered. If you have lost a family member or a friend, or endured other tragedies or losses, I am so sorry. I don't know why these things happen, but I know God was and is present and He will create something beautiful out of the pain and loss. Keep looking up and don't let go of His hand. He will guide you and love you through. God bless.
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