30 Days of Gratitude: Day 18

Being Broken Is Okay

It is common for people to find flaws in themselves. In fact, we are often harder on ourselves than anyone could be. We focus on the areas of our life that are broken through our eyes, and then obsess over the fact that we feel less than. As a counselor, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of embracing our brokenness, understanding that it’s not a sign of weakness but a testament to our resilience.

Realizing that I am okay with being broke is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. It took me realizing that in my brokenness, I am beautiful. I began to think of beauty in brokenness. Think about it: Mosaics are often made with broken or differently shaped colored items. Stained glass is made from different shapes that come together to create beautiful windows. When a potter breaks a new pot, especially one that hasn't been glazed, the broken pieces are rehydrated to be sculpted into something new.

Any parts of our life that we think are broken are just parts that need a bit of color and putting together in a way that creates a gorgeous visual of our life story. The brokenness speaks to what you have survived. The brokenness speaks to the endurance and perseverance. The brokenness offers a chance to meet someone else where they are and help them get to a new place of healing. There is a secular singer who wrote a song. In her lyrics, she says, " Just throw your head back, and spit in the wind. Let the walls crack, it lets the light in." If we weren't all broken, how could the light get in?

Forrest Frank, a very popular contemporary Christian artist, wrote: "The love of God has got me clean, all smiles. The desert I was in was deep, so dry. But now I'm out here feelin' free, so fly. I'm chillin' in the shade. Life gave me some lemons, by my Jesus, he be makin' lemonade!"