Clay pots can be broken and then mended.
God has broken me over the past three years. He hasn’t pulverized me, but I have a deep crack. Even though He has sealed me back together, the crack remains and is obvious to anyone looking for it.
Bipolar depression and marital discord have cracked me in pieces. Although God is repairing me, the cracks remind me God alone sustains me through my mental and marital problems.
Ministry seems to be the reason God has broken me. He wants me to be able to empathize with others who are broken. Transparency is critical when ministering to someone else’s brokenness. I can sense a phony immediately. I imagine others can too. I can only be authentic if I am raw and vulnerable in my writing. So I had to be broken.
I’m learning to invite God into my heartbreak. Only He can soothe me. No substance or person can help me. It’s spiritually exhausting to struggle against the loss of peace in my life. But God is teaching me to trust that He can give me peace even while the storm rages.
The more transparent we are about our struggles, the better equipped we are to point others to God who comforts the suffering. Let others see what God has done in your life.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Christy Lindsay’s writings have appeared in Blissfully Blended: 365 Devotional Readings for Stepmoms, christianitytoday.com, and Penned from the Heart, volumes 17-19. She writes a column for her hometown weekly newspaper, Community News. You can read her work at www.communitynewslinesville.com.