On days like these, I feel overwhelmed and vulnerable - and a little broken, too.
I could list all of the worries that may explain this feeling. Only this would likely not interest you and I don't like to complain. I shall spare you, dear readers...
I suppose the more important thing with which to occupy my thoughts is not what is wrong but instead: what will I do about it?
How do you make something beautiful from something that is broken?
I love mosaics. Have you seen one up close? They are made from small fractured stones or tiles. On its own, a shard of glass might seem useless or ugly. The material was probably smashed with a hammer or crushed with some other tool. Such a violent process seems the antithesis of beautiful! But when assembled with hundreds of other pieces in a mosaic, brokenness becomes the very stimulus for beauty.
In the book of Isaiah, I read about those who are grieving and troubled in heart. Isaiah writes that to anyone in Zion who mourns, God will give them beauty for ashes (check out verse 3). I once read that certain ancient mourning practices involved rubbing ashes on one's head in sorrow and submission. Imagine yourself with a grey-ish black countenance and cinders mixed in your hair. It'd be hard for others not to notice when you were sad - even if you swore you'd never complain openly about your troubles.
I'm reminded in this verse that God is interested in and capable of making beauty out of my grey days. He can lift away these ashes and replace them with a sparkling tiara.
But even more - God wants to teach me how to love even the broken things. When a friend is hurting, what should I do?
I should weep with those who weep. I should comfort them with the comfort I have been given so many times before.
I will search for the beauty that is on its way :)
