Broken But better

Broken. Years ago, this crystal mouse treasure from my childhood broke when my children devised an elaborate and not well-thought-out plan to scale the living room wall using yarn. The display the crystal mouse sat on, along with Irish China and other cherished items, came crashing down, breaking into pieces. This past year felt a lot like that for me. I, too, am broken.  I lost two brothers-in-law within six months of each other. My children’s lifelong friend, a son to me, died at 27 years old. My good friend’s father, who treated my children like his grandchildren, passed away a few weeks ago. I have been hurt by people and places that are supposed to make you feel safe. It has been a time.

Like the crystal mouse, I found myself feeling irreparable. None of my efforts could restore the mouse or my brokenness.  I gave up writing devotionals.  After all, who am I broken and beaten to write words of encouragement to others?  Then, scrolling through Facebook of all places, God spoke. “The enemy will always strike the hardest when he knows God has something great in store for you.” For a while now, I have felt a tug on my heart to write for the Lord; it has to be a step up from my old TV news gig!!  I started my blog and had an overwhelming response.

Then discouragement came in death and hurtful people.  It is said that discouragement is the devil’s greatest tool. He uses it against us to undermine our spirit, to push us away from our goals and faith, to render us hopeless, and to doubt our abilities.  This hit me like a brick wall falling on me.  That, and when someone asked me why I had stopped writing. I told her I didn’t feel worthy.  She looked at me and said, “I need those.’ That was a God Wink. God encourages. God gives us talents to use for his glory.  Satan hates that.  “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and ]have it abundantly.”(John 10:10) God wants us to have an abundant life, not a hopeless, broken one. Put your faith in Him to repair and restore you, to make you new again.  I couldn’t fix the mouse a beloved friend gave me as a child. I could make it new again with a simple search on eBay, and I found the exact one. It is not the original, but I am not the same person I was before I was broken. God has made me new and improved as I put my faith and trust in Him.