Shattered But Not Broken

In late June of 2021 I broke something very precious to me. I wrote about it that morning and perhaps you remember reading it, but in my rush to get ready for work, I knocked a gift out of my bathroom windowsill. It shattered on the edge of the tub, dozens of pieces. It broke my heart.

I wrote, “You see, it was a gift from my mother. It was an “antique” perfume bottle, and it was beautiful. It stood about 3 ½ inches high. It was a pale see-through blue with gold bands around the neck. It had the old-style perfume bottle-stopper for applying perfume. It came to me empty, and I never used it. It just sat in my bathroom window, a forever reminder of my mom. I could not bear to pick up the pieces. I left for work with them still scattered all over the bottom of my bathtub.”

I vowed to clean it up that night and throw it away, but several friends reached out and said, “Keep it. You might be able to use the pieces in an art project, or something.” Well, that never happened, but I did keep it, in a Ziplock bag on a shelf. (pictured)

Fast forward 2 years, 3 months, and 1 visit to my mom’s this weekend and she said, “oh, I have an early Christmas present for you.”

It was a perfume bottle, exactly like the one that I had broken! (pictured) It made me so happy. It now has its new place in the old place on the windowsill.

The Japanese have a tradition where broken things are repaired with gold, or silver, so that the repaired object is even lovelier than the original. I love that!

Isn’t that just like Jesus?

In our brokenness, we may see ourselves as shattered and beyond repair. But Jesus takes our broken pieces and fills the gaps with His love and grace, making us even more beautiful and valuable than before.

He takes our brokenness and turns us into something beautiful. We are reminded of this in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" NIV

Isaiah 61:3 also resonates with this idea: "To provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor." NIV

As I placed the newly gifted perfume bottle alongside the bag of broken fragments, I couldn't help but reflect on the journey of my own life. Like that shattered perfume bottle, there have been moments when I felt broken, lost, and beyond repair. But just as I had chosen to keep the broken pieces as a reminder of my mom’s love, God chooses to keep us, flaws and all, as precious and valued creations, reminders of His forever love.

One of the most compelling Bible stories that mirrors this idea is the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15:11-32.

In this parable, a wayward son squanders his inheritance, hits rock bottom, and returns to his father, expecting rejection. However, his father's response is anything but. Instead, his father offers nothing but love and restoration.

This parable beautifully illustrates how God views us. We may feel broken, lost, and unworthy, but when we turn back to Him, He not only forgives us but also restores us with a lavish love that celebrates our return.

In Isaiah 43:18-19, we are told: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?..."

This verse shows God's ability to transform our brokenness into something new and beautiful.

As I looked at the perfume bottle now gracing my windowsill, it became a tangible reminder of God's grace and redemption. Just as the Japanese tradition repairs broken objects with precious metals, God mends our brokenness with His divine love, filling the gaps with His grace and mercy, making us more beautiful and more valuable than before.

In 2 Corinthians 4:7 it is written: " But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." ESV

We are like fragile jars of clay, but within us, we carry the treasure of God's love and redemption. Our brokenness allows His light to shine through the cracks, revealing His glory in our lives.

“But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand” Isaiah 64:8 ESV

We can trust in His unending love and the promise of redemption in every aspect of our lives.

by Jeanette Stark – Monday, September 25, 2023