Beauty in the Brokenness

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18 NLT)

I talk often about how imperfect life is. With all the beautiful photos we put up on Instagram, sometimes it’s easy to think that a person’s life is perfect or charmed. And while I’m surrounded by so many blessings, I’m also surrounded by so much brokenness.

I have a friend who is struggling with depression and a friend who is facing infertility. Another friend was in a horrible car accident, and the marriage of two close friends is crumbling around them. Brokenness is everywhere.

Meanwhile, in my own life I’m caring for a seventeen-year-old who still has to be diapered, fed, and given medication three times a day. He is also tons of fun, super silly, and the best snuggle bug, but the drain that comes from meeting his needs day in and day out is real. Not to mention all the other responsibilities that fill up my days.

I look around me and I see all this brokenness, but what’s even harder for me to look at is the brokenness in my own heart. I am self-centered, prone to fatigue, and sometimes discouraged. I think I’m doing just fine, being productive and full of energy, when all of a sudden I feel angry and resentful.

Isn’t this the stuff of life? The comfort of the mundane can drive us to insanity. The joys of being a mother are overshadowed by feelings of failure. And the beauty of a new day is clouded by a long to-do list.

I am broken. I am needy. I can’t fix myself. That’s where I see the incredible beauty of God’s grace. There is hope in that broken and needy place.

Prayer:

God, I am a broken person. Self-centered, needy, unable to fix myself, and I need You. We need You. Brokenness is everywhere. Send the hope that comes from Your heart to ours, and help me see the incredible beauty of Your grace right here, in the middle of the brokenness. Amen.

This is an excerpt from Take Heart: 100 Devotions to Seeing God When Life’s Not Okay by (in)courage  - a devotional book now available on DaySpring.com. Learn more about this book, or shop other books & devotionals from DaySpring.