From the broken...

A couple of weeks ago, during the high school small group, we read one of my very favorite parts of scripture--the sinful woman washing Jesus' feet. We talked about how Jesus, instead of condemning says, "this woman has done a beautiful thing for me."

In life, we (and by we, I mean that I am) are a lot like the woman in this account looking for the beautiful in the broken pieces. One particular youth in this group lost a parent in very tragic circumstances. The fact that he is healthy, strong, living and that his family has built a new life out of those broken pieces is a testament of God's beauty and something that I sometimes marvel.

Beauty out of the broken.

Our broken, sinful hearts seek and cry out for restoration and redemption.

For a time period of about 18 months several years ago (my life seems to move in 18 month time spans), there was a time when I felt broken. Broken by circumstances, failed relationships, friendships, finances, work, life. Much like Donald Miller in his book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years that he felt as though he would never thank God for the things he was experiencing, I felt the same way. There were many things that I felt would never resolve, would never get better, would never get repaired (as evidenced by this blog o mine).

The other night, while thinking about that time, it suddenly hit me that time of feeling broken was a time that God was using to bring about beauty. There is a lot of beauty in my life that came from that time. New friends, new relationships, new experiences, a stronger wearing, longer lasting version of myself. And even though I thought I would never thank God for that time, I am thankful. Thankful for the newness He's brought and thankful for beautiful things he has done and continues to do for me.