Two days later, Resurrection Sunday found me watching a man swing a hammer, glass bottle shattering into irreparable pieces. As the scent of fragrant oil filled the sanctuary, he said We are filled with the essence of Christ, the glory of Christ. And when we are broken, it is the fragrance of Christ that pours out, reaches the world. And just like that, something in me began to break, Truth lodging like a shard of glass.
Four more days and I read these words of Ann Voskamp and heard God speaking still:
I look back at all the years of brokenness and I grieve for the losses and the emptiness, the weakness and the failures. I stumble on deep cracks still in need of healing and I feel defeated, overwhelmed, nothing but a useless broken vessel....in a cracked world, skies break wide to water the earth and kernels break open to nourish with bread and earth breaks open to be a womb for a seed, and why be afraid of the broken things? Of being broken?
It's over the face of the deep and the hearts split deeper that God hovers close, the broken-hearted He binds up, swaddles near, and it's a life broken like a jar that anoints Him with alabaster worship for His love that ultimately heals.
But maybe this is Truth. Maybe the brokenness is sacred.
Maybe the secret to abundant life is in embracing our broken places.
Maybe the secret to being healed is in letting Christ seep out through the cracks of our lives, our souls, us.
Maybe the secret to a faith that saves is in believing that brokenness is what leaves Christ visible. And isn't it Christ Visible that changes us, changes the world, changes everything?
We are fragile jars, easily cracked, easily broken. But we who are in Christ are also filled with infinite treasure, infinite God. And it is in the breaking of us that the Glory of God pours forth.For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:6-7)
"...why be afraid of broken things? Of being broken?"
Maybe this is what He's been trying to teach us all along: To give thanks for the brokenness and rejoice in the pouring forth of God.
Christ is so evident in your life and we are changed because we see him in you.
ReplyDeleteI agree – brokenness can be sacred – but not the world’s brokenness – or the Enemy’s – but God’s – when he breaks us to make us a more usable vessel – I speak from experience – I always had the gifts – the knowledge – but not the heart – and he broke me – and now I’m usable. So amen – if he is managing the broken – I “give thanks for the brokenness and rejoice in the pouring forth of God.”
ReplyDeleteGod Bless and keep you and all of yours. I really hearted this post Courtney. Thank you.
i really didn't want to read this post. at all. (if i'm going to be honest:))
ReplyDeletebut i needed to.
"truth lodging like a shard of glass"...sometimes it has to lodge like that, doesn't it? for us to feel the deepness of the truth.
thank you, for writing this. for allowing your broken and wounded places be a fragrant offering to Him that He uses to bless and to add healing to the lives of others.
your growing in Him is truly beautiful, and i am so honored to call you my friend.
with love,