“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)
It was our fourth vacation day at the beach.
Our youngest daughter and I ventured down the beach, eager to find at least one intact shell for our vacation collection. She had been filling her purple bucket with shells every day; however they were mostly broken. As I looked inside with little interest, I realized that these were remains of what once were large, beautiful sand dollars, massive conchs and shells of all kinds.
That was just not going to work. I was determined to find one intact large shell to bring home.
Our adventure remained unproductive as the hour went by and each scoop of wet sand revealed another broken shell. After reaching down once again to sift the sand, I spotted my daughter, skipping in my direction, holding what seemed to be the inside of a horse conch. Her eyes, beaming with excitement: “Oh, mommy, look! It is so beautiful!” I picked it up and was ready to shrug, in frustration, when I heard Him whisper: “Look again… It is broken… and beautiful. Much like My children.”
There are moments in life when time stands still and our perspective turns 180 degrees to consider life from a new angle. That was one of those moments. I knelt down beside my daughter, seeing the twisted piece in her tiny hand in a new way. Broken… and simply beautiful.
A flashback of life danced in my mind as I contemplated the large shell piece: Shattering moments in the past; painful situations that caused me to break, time and again. Sin that shattered my soul until my Redeemer made me whole.
Broken pieces. That was me.
No, wait a minute. That IS me.
In a moment I realized that everything that I’ve ever done and ever gone through make me whom I am.
“Oh, if only I could go back in time!”
How often do we waste precious time wishing we could go back and fix life!
On that beautiful day at the beach, holding a broken shell, I fully grasped the fact that, had I never been broken, I would not have known my Savior and experienced His redeeming, restoring love. For the first time since I’ve known grace, I truly embraced my brokenness… as beautiful.
God loves broken shells.
Because I’ve been broken, I have seen the ugliness of sin for what it is… and invited Him to cleanse me and give me a new heart… He cleanses broken shells.
Because I’ve been broken, I can look at my brothers and sisters with compassion when they fail. And instead of judging them with unmerciful and self-righteous pride, extend them sympathy, forgiveness and love… He uses broken shells.
Because I’ve been broken, when my neighbor is hurting, I remember the pain. And remember to give. And pray for them… He softens broken shells.
Because I’ve been broken, and although the scars shall forever be a reminder of His deliverance and undeserving grace, my heart found peace and joy in Him… God restores broken shells.
Broken and yet, beautiful…
Just as God has chosen to use me to proclaim His mercies and be useful in His kingdom, I have chosen to bring a bag filled with beautiful broken shells home from the beach. And now they sit on a shelf, just beside by study desk: Beautiful memories of lazy days at the beach with the family I love… and a fresh reminder of whom I am in Christ:
Broken… but whole.
Scarred… but beautiful.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature;
the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
LINKUP PARTY at Soaring with Him!
Share your Blog with our audience below:
1. Add your Link.
2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.
3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us!
Thank you for this lovely reflection. I’m studying Ann Voskamp’s The Broken Way with my Sunday School class right now, so this was particularly relevant.
Thank you, Michele! I love Ann! I appreciate your encouragement and for always participating on our linkup!
Blessings to you!
This is a beautiful post! I ‘ve been covering this topic all month on my blog. It is amazing how God can work such good in our brokenness and bring such beauty from it.
Amen, Lesley! God is always willing to make beauty out of our ashes, light out of our darkness – if only we trust His heart!
Thanks for participating! Blessings,
Nothing works like seeing my own brokeness first hand – that’s when I understand His mercy/grace – a great post! None are throw-aways in God’s bucket.
Amen, Sue! Thank you for participating and for your encouragement! Be blessed!
I love how when we surrender to the Lord and He steps in to heal us, we in turn gain compassion to help others! This is a topic that I wrote about and shared here. So thankful for a new outlook, God is so good 🙂
Thank you, Nicole! God IS good all the time! Even in our darkest moments, He is working for our good and His glory! Rom 8:28
Blessings!
So thankful He loves and holds together the broken!
I love the seashell imagery. It will make you think twice about saying that someone is a shell of a person they once were. Praise the Lord you’re a survivor.