From Broken to Beautiful

At one time or another, most if not all of us have experienced hitting rock bottom. Someone once said that when you hit rock bottom, it gives you a firm foundation to begin building back up on. But what happens when you hit bottom, and then the bottom falls out on you?


Hitting rock bottom often leaves us shattered and broken. Not everything in life is fixable. Some things can't be fixed. The loss of a loved one, the pain and heartache of a broken marriage - these are things that just can't be magically fixed with superglue. Sure, the pain and hurt eventually heal, but this is not heaven; we live in a fallen, sin-sick world.

One of the best pieces of advice that was given to me early on when I thought I had hit rock bottom (only to have the 'bottom' drop out on me later) was from a good friend named Alex - "John, it is not your job to fix the problem; it is your job to get closer to God and let Him work."

 It is in the most broken, unfixable moments when you experience God in the most amazing ways. As I look back on my journals from the last two years, they are pages filled with pain and hurt, but also a precious walk with the Lord. I don't cherish the pain, but I cherish the closeness to God that the pain brought.

The scars do not define me; they are simply a reminder of the grace and goodness of God. The "cracks", if you will, are evidence of a God Who cares enough to put me back together. This brings me to the art of kintsugi, sometimes called kintsukuroi.

Legend has it that the ancient art of kintsugi, or "golden joinery", began in the late 15th century. A Japanese shogun had sent out a cherished, yet broken, tea bowl for repair, and was not happy when it came back pieced together with metal staples. His craftsmen then began searching for a more visually pleasing method of repair. The end result is a process in which a special lacquer dusted with powdered gold or silver is used to repair broken pottery.

The beautiful seams laced with gold offer a unique appearance to a once-broken vessel. The fractures and breaks are emphasized, not hidden or disguised. Often the repaired piece is more beautiful than it was originally. The broken vessel is revitalized with new life, a new purpose.

In the middle of his trials, Job made this statement about the work of God in his life:

Job 23:8-10 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: 10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. (emphasis added)

God can do the same kind of work in our brokenness. He can pick up the broken pieces of our shattered lives and mend them with His loving mercy and grace. What could have been ugly scars can be your unique beauty, a testimony "...to the praise of the glory of His grace..." (Ephesians 1)

This is such a beautiful illustration to me. I don't know what the future holds. I know God isn't done putting all my pieces back together. I know when He is finished, my "scars" will shine forth as gold, a testimony of His grace.