Hope in Brokenness

Have you had times (moments, days, years) that were just hard? Times when you just did not understand a situation and why you had to go through the experience. Times when you may have been angry about the difficulty. Everyone’s hard times may be similar or very different, but the point is that we all will have moments that we wish we didn’t have to live through that left us feeling disappointed, confused, frustrated, sad, and broken. Or, you may be living in one of these times right now.

I wish that I could say that the things that you have experienced that were hurtful and frustrating and confusing just didn’t have to exist, but that is just not the world that we live in. Sin is in our world and that sin, whether it be yours or of others, can have an impact on your life.

Life can be hard, BUT there is good news that we have a God that never leaves you during those hard times. You may look at certain times and wonder where God was. But you got through that time, so God didn’t leave you there. We have hope --- even in the tough times.

Psalm 34:17-19 (NIV) says “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.

Our hard times can make us feel pressed, confused, hunted, knocked down. In the bible, Paul suffered many hard times, but his outlook on life is admirable and something that we can learn from.

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 (NIV) - But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

So, despite how bad things make us feel, look at what we are NOT. We are NOT crushed. We are NOT driven in despair. We are NOT abandoned. We are NOT destroyed.

The verse above references a clay jar. Clay jars can be easily broken. Have you ever broken something and tried to glue it back together? If so, there are usually pieces that crumbled and you can never get it all back together without some holes being in the jar. The jar represents life… the life that God gave you. The life that God chose for you because YOU were important enough to God to create you. It doesn’t matter if our jar gets broken because God is the glue that puts us back together and those holes left in your jar are the areas that God’s light can really shine through.

We may have the scars of those broken moments. But those scars can be beautiful. You may have disappointments, but those disappointments may be your greatest blessing. You might be wondering how a blessing can come from a disappointment. I firmly believe that everything has a purpose and that everything that happens to you can be used by God to further his kingdom. Romans 8:28 NIV says - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

The story of Christmas and celebrating Jesus’ birth is a wonderful time, but have you thought about the “disappointment” that Joseph was feeling as things didn’t happen as he planned? Joseph was going to marry a virgin. He finds out that Mary is pregnant, and he knows that she is not pregnant by him. Through his disappointment, he was going to quietly leave her until an angel appeared to tell him that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit and she would give birth to a son that would save the people from their sins. Mary would give birth to the promised Messiah. Joseph’s big disappointment turned out to be the greatest blessing and the savior to us.

As you go through life, you may encounter someone that is going through something that you have faced. Your experience and seeing that you made it through is God’s light shining through those scars (your broken/missing pieces in your jar). Those broken pieces can be the hope that someone needs to see that their broken and hurtful moments are not an end.

I used to pray for God to let certain things happen. I look back now and realize that I was praying for what I thought the plan should be and not God’s plan. We don’t know God’s plan. We can’t see the future. But we can trust that God knows what he is doing. During those hard times, remember to seek God, trust that he has not abandoned you and ask for the wisdom to use those hard times for the greater good. Remember Joseph and how the disappointment that he felt was not a disappointment at all. Find comfort that those that hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31 NIV

Ask God to use you and to use that moment for the greater good.

Tabatha Martin