beauty in brokenness

Beauty in Brokenness

“God takes . . . the broken or blemished and restores them to new life and beauty.”

This line is spoken by my main character, Keedryn Reynolds, in my novel, Let Him Go. She asks Blake Conner, her cranky boss, “Have you heard about the Japanese art using gold to repair broken pottery? They restore the broken pieces to an even more beautiful vessel than the original and bring it new life. God does that for us too.”

Keedryn described the Japanese art of Kintsugi which takes broken pieces of pottery and restores them with gold.

God, too, finds beauty in the broken. He turns our flaws and imperfections into a work of art. Ephesians 2:10 says, For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Evidence of His love overflows as we go from brokenness to restoration. We can then pour into the lives of other broken people and comfort them. It’s not about us—it’s about Jesus and serving others. Doing the good things God planned for us long ago.

Near the end of my novel, Blake gives Keedryn a gift. A Kintsugi bowl. He holds it in his hands and says, “After all the pain and heartache, you’re more beautiful to me than before. Your Christ-like love, which I don’t deserve, makes you more valuable and precious than I ever imagined.”

That’s my desire. To become more valuable for God’s work through sharing Christ-like love. To show grace and mercy and to encourage hope.

We grow in faith and learn to trust God more through our brokenness as He heals, restores, and refines us. But He knows where I am going. And when He tests me, I will come out as pure as gold (Job 23:10).

I am becoming gold. Pure gold. I believe that He who began a good work within me will continue His work until it is finally finished (Philippians 1:6).