Broken To Beautiful

A story is told of a young boy who came upon a cocoon. In his little mind, all he could think of was the living thing inside of this ought to be free! He wasn’t old enough to understand the cocoon was a needed season. He ran to the house where he found a sharp object with which he could puncture the cocoon. Quickly he ran back to the cocoon and with his object cut it open. However, instead of seeing the living thing become free, he cried as it was no longer able to live.

The process of the cocoon was necessary — although it was dark, cramped, and seemingly restrictive to the worm as it held it within it’s walls. All though this time, it was developing. Change was taking place. Transformation could only be completed as it endured the cocoon. If left there to finish the process, it could have emerged a beautiful butterfly.

Broken things rarely demand positive responses. Think about it for a moment. You’re sitting in a restaurant when you hear a clatter of dishes from the back. What is your automatic response? “Uh, oh. Not good . . .” You drop a glass on the kitchen floor . . . You reach for the broom, and the trash can.

Some people view broken lives with the same basic response. If you can “hold it all together” things are good. What about the times life sends those unwanted, unasked for circumstances that break you. Break your heart, break your will, break your desire to win . . . What then? Off to the trash heap with other broken lives?

That isn’t the view of our Savior! Hallelujah! He knows about brokenness. He has picked up many broken pieces. He is no respecter of persons. He wants to pick up yours too.

Only He knows how to take the brokenness of your life — the dark, damp process of the cocoon where you are and begin a transformation. A change only learned in the dark place. A developing process from brokenness that will bring you to a place you could have never found without His grace. Only He is able — and even more amazing — He wants to. It’s His specialty.

He bore the brokenness, the pain, the sin — just for you. Whether you are needing forgiveness, or needing His love to enable you to forgive — He is there for you. Perhaps you know Him as Savior, but life has brought circumstances beyond your control and you are broken inside.

Allow His healing to begin — way down deep. Hand it all over to Him — He’ll receive your burden, your brokenness, your open, gaping wound — He’s the Healer.

Trust Him when you cannot see the reason behind it all. It’s more than clichés or a figure of speech. He can turn brokenness into something beautiful. It's His way . . .

“A message from the high and towering God, who lives in eternity, whose name is Holy: I live in the high and holy places, but also with the low-spirit, the spirit-crushed, and what I do is put new spirit in them, get them up on their feet again.” Isaiah 57:15 (The Message)