beautifully broken

Have you ever felt absolutely broken? I'm not talking about 'heartbroken' in the teeny-bopper sense; but broken.

I often wonder about this with other Christians, because let me tell you, I've felt as though I've been put through the ringer. As my hometown pastor Paul would say; 'taken to the woodshed.' And maybe it's all because of the life I've led; which to be honest has been full of out-of-control confusion.

Let me explain ...

This is all stemming from something I've noticed in some Christians that has taken me aback. What I've taken as a lack of empathy (and I realize this is just my perception of things - I could be totally wrong)... It seems as though there are just certain situations that can't be comprehended, so they are just swept under the rug. 'Well, I just have no idea what that's like, can we go on to something else, please?' And I just want to scream, 'This is reality! Maybe not to you, but to a lot of people; this is life or death - spiritually speaking - therefore it is a deadly serious matter.'

Be kind: for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle

I just wish there was more 'stepping out of the bubble,' I guess. I mean, I get it, some things are just uncomfortable; I squirm, too. I hear it all over the news; I've been tempted to take cnn.com off of my home screen because of all the horrible things in the news every day. *** (warning; these links are upsetting, but aren't near the worst I could have posted) *** Kidnapping, rape, murder, torture, modern day slavery, stories of children being led into prostitution. It all makes me sick to my stomach. But I don't want to ignore it. I don't want to chalk it up to, 'well, I just couldn't imagine that' or 'that doesn't affect me.' Because it does affect me. And I can't understand how it wouldn't affect others.

And I totally get it; I do have a different perspective from other folks. I really do. And that makes it easier for me to feel more empathetic than uncomfortable. God has blessed me with this gift. It makes me want to delve into the lies that people believe when coming out of a situation of victimization. I'm not excusing the resulting sin; but I want to understand it.

And I want to help. I've posted before about how I want to help, but I still feel at a loss for how to make it happen. I've bought t-shirts, so what, right? Well, here's one thing I'm being more and more convicted to do:

Be more welcoming to new people at my church. Because I can tell you right now, when I first stepped foot in my new church, I was unbelievably broken. Happily broken, but broken still. And it was a struggle to meet people. I know I'm not alone in this; and I truly believe God has shown me this for a reason. So maybe this is my start. I need your prayers in this, because I'm not a naturally outgoing person. But I will be more intentional. And I'm not the only one, I do have friends at my church who feel the same conviction, so please pray for them, too.

I just don't want to leave anyone behind.

Devotionals: Set an Example ~ The Sacrificial Kingdom ~ Pray, then Decide


(below was written back in May; my original 'beautifully broken' post that was never finished or published)





Shallow vs. deep truth; love the 'ugly.'

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Thoughts on obvious, public sin and willful sin.

Like the boy who called wolf - when they really need help, will you be there for them?

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If you depend on someone like you're supposed to depend on God... you will drive that person crazy!!! Yes, I have been driven crazy a lot lately...

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"This signature on each soul may be a product of heredity and environment, but that only means that heredity and environment are among the instruments whereby God creates a soul. I am considering not how, but why, He makes each soul unique. If He had no use for all these differences, I do not see why He should have created more souls than one. Be sure that the ins and outs of your individuality are no mystery to Him; and one day they will no longer be a mystery to you. The mould in which a key is made would be strange thing, if you had never seen a key: and the key itself a strange thing if you had never seen a lock. Your soul has a curious shape because it is a hollow made to fit a particular swelling in the infinite contours of the Divine substance, or a key to unlock one of the doors in the house with many mansions. For it is not humanity in the abstract that is to be saved, but you- you, the individual reader, John Stubbs or Janet Smith...... Your place in heaven will seem to be made for you and you alone, because you were made for it- made for it stitch by stitch as a glove is made for a hand." C.S. Lewis - The Problem of Pain.