I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. Psalm 31:12
It’s not fun to watch something break. The vessel cracks and splits open, marring it’s once smooth and flawless surface.
One time I dropped a beautiful vase that we’d gotten for our wedding. I was so sad! I was going to use it for some pretty spring flowers I’d picked outside. Now it was on the floor in pieces.
It was in so many pieces, in fact, that when I tried to glue it back together, it was left with many cracks. The vase wasn’t whole anymore. It was no longer the pretty vase I’d planned to hold my flowers in.
I can’t remember why I decided to keep it, that cracked, broken vase. But I did. Later that year, I filled it with stones and put a candle inside, on a whim.
And then one night the power went out, and I needed some light. I lit the candle inside the broken vase, and I was struck by it’s beauty. The light that filled the inside spilled from the cracks into the room, illuminating what was once dark.
It wouldn’t have worked so well if the vase had not been broken.
The light wouldn’t have spilled out. It would’ve been trapped inside, only knowing itself.
Have you ever been broken? He uses broken people, you know. You’re never too broken to be used again.
I don’t know your circumstances, what has brought you to the point of brokenness, whether it’s sickness, sin, or something unspeakable.
But I do know that He will still use you. In the Bible, we see all sorts of broken people being used time and time again.
Moses was broken, I’m sure! He had actually killed a man and ran off into the desert. On top of that, he had a physical limitation that could have broken him. But Moses argued with the LORD, saying, “I can’t do it! I’m such a clumsy speaker! Why should Pharaoh listen to me?” Exodus 6:30 NLT God used him anyway. He used Moses big! Moses was an integral part of God’s freeing Israel from slavery.
Ruth was broken. She was destitute. She was a foreigner. She was now a widow. She was broken. But God used Ruth in a precious way. Through a God-sized turn of events, Ruth was redeemed by a kinsman, Boaz. And Ruth became a part of the genaology of Jesus! “Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David the king.” Matthew 1:5-6 NIV
Peter was broken. He was ashamed of his human tendencies. Before his best friend, Jesus, died, Peter swore he would never deny Him. But just like our Lord foretold, Peter denied ever knowing Jesus three times on the night He died. And he was so broken. “The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.” Luke 22:61-62 NIV But God was not through with Peter! He ended up being the “rock” of the church, “and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Matthew 16:18
I could go on and on with biblical proof of how God uses the broken. But I will let you read for yourself and make those discoveries!
On the first few days of school, when my students use their perfect, shiny new crayons, it never fails that one child colors a little too hard and his crayon breaks. He stares at the broken crayon and looks at me with dismay.
“It’s broken!”
And it always my joy to tell the class, “The great thing about a broken crayon is that it still colors. Sometimes even brighter than before!”
You may be like that broken crayon, thinking you should be trashed. But friends, your job is not done. He is getting ready to use your colors in His beautiful work of art!
Jesus didn’t come into my heart to be locked in, knowing only me. He longs to shine out of me so that others can see His goodness, His light. How better to shine than through the brokenness, the cracks left by shame, sadness, and failures. The cracks that He pieced back together! I may not look as shiny and new as I did once before, but I’m better designed for showing the Jesus inside of me now!
Know any broken people? Are you? I have good news for you, friend. He is in the business of using broken people! Let Him shine through you today!
Give Us Broken Hearts by Renee McGullion and Paige Givens, copyright 2014
My Story, My Song 
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
This is so beautiful. God’s workmanship always turns into something not only for our good, but for our pleasure
You are right!
Always thought-provoking, and always a pleasure to visit. Thank you. And thank you for the music too.
Tony, thank you so much for reading and for commenting. It’s such an encouragement!
So very encouraging!
So beautifully written and so true! Have always loved the quote, Broken Crayons still color!! Thanks for this, was a needed reminder today!
Some of my favorite stories in scripture are the examples of how He takes the broken and uses their limitations to be exalted and glorified by His grace and love in them. Brokenness is also beautiful and your illiustration of the vase illumnated by the power of light revealed a use and a purpose that you would have never imagined it was designed for. I see that in our broken places, we cry, just like the students, “It is broken!”, and feel that there is little hope of usefulness. I feel like that at times, when I am broken, and yet with the touch of the Master’s hand, people used up and split open become redeemed and bathed in the light that beauty traces in hope.
Encouraging words of hope here, Paige. Thank you!
Blessings,
Dawn
I found you on the Saturday Soire. What a blessing! I’ve been listening to your music on youtube, and now this original song just blessed my socks off! Do you have an accompaniment track for it yet? 🙂
Loved this in your post: “The great thing about a broken crayon is that it still colors. Sometimes even brighter than before!” So true!
Thanks so much for shining through your brokenness. 🙂
Wow thanks! I’m playing around with the best ways to make accompaniment tracks. I’ll let you know what I find out!;)
Thank you so much for listening and commenting. I appreciate it, friend!
I love the name “blest with boys”! I have 2 myself, no girls. I’m definitely blessed!
HI. I found you at the Saturday Soire. I shared this valuable post on Twitter and G+. Each broken crayon has it’s complementary color… God’s color. The union of those two things spell healing and redemption. I am in training to become a counselor and I have seen God in my studies every step of the way. I will be working with many broken crayons. But let’s face it- we’re all broken and in need of a Savior & Healer. None of us have gone through life untouched. Either it’s our personal pain or pain transferred over generations in our families, or cultural pain. Just goes to show much much ministering is needed in this world and how God fills our ministering gaps. Blessings to you~
Thanks so much Meredith!
Best of luck in your counseling training and as you work with Broken Crayons. Love the quote that Broken Crayons can still color and love how you can help minister God’s love to these wonderful people. And yes what you say is true, we are all broken. God bless!
Paige, this analogy is AMAZING! In such a throw away society, we so often just sweep up the broken pieces and send it out with the garbage. But god does not do that, but puts those broken pieces, and from our tragedies, we shine like we never have shined before.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful post! 🙂
~Carl~
Thanks so much Carl! I appreciate your encouragement more than you know! 🙂
What an awesome message in this post! We are all broken in some way! Thank God that He takes what breaks us, makes us stronger, and uses our greatest weaknesses as His greatest glory!
Yes:)
Always loved that quote, Broken crayons still color! Thanks so much for your true, powerful post!! Have a great day! How meaningful that vase must be now 😉
Yep!!!:)