It’s broken, but it’s better
I took my three year old twins to the dentist the other day, and the technician was entertaining my toddlers with a spring-loaded jumpjng toy. I’m sure all of the moms and dads of youngsters understand how much that was appreciated while we were waiting for the dentist to come in for the final sign off. At one point, my more inquisitive daughter got a hold of the toy and somehow, and very quickly, changed the mechanism of the toy’s spring. The next time the technician used it the jumping toy completely came off the spring and went flying across the room, and as you can imagine that was amazing for three-year-old toddlers to see – they got a good laugh out of it- I think we all did actually!
But, unbeknownst to me , God spoke to me in that moment on a way deeper level than I ever expected to experience in the side chair of the exam room. Our technician leap across the room to find it, and when she did, she said these exact words “it’s broken now, but it’s better.” I remember because I immediately opened my notes app and jotted it down (life story of a writer).
Usually, I don’t think a statement about a broken toy would even make it past the next moment in my mind, but that moment in particular stood out. For me, it was a reminder that sometimes God brings us to places where we’re broken so that He can put the pieces together and keep on using us. This world is full of pain, loss, addiction, struggle, strife, and the list goes on. Not one human that walks this planet is immune to it because the fact is we live in a broken world. We are broken people, and we all experience those times in life that bring us to our end, and seemingly breaks us emotionally, spiritually, mentally, physically, or maybe even financially.
But what if broken place isn’t the end? And what if our purpose after that isn’t done?
Maybe. Just maybe, it’s the beginning of God’s work in us to bring about something good, and to bring glory to His name because only He can restore what I’ve seen in my life. From physically broken bones in my body to a shattered heart and broken relationships, if God can redeem and restore what I’ve seen, I know you’ll be able to say the same thing about your life too if you surrender it to Him!
I’ve been broken time and time again, but I can honestly see through each trial, I’ve come out a little better because it makes me more like Christ. More patient. More kind. LOTS of humbling. And LOTS more work to be done, BUT maybe we just CAN’T be better until we’re broken of our selves and our sin at times?
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise,” Psalm 51:17
Anspiration 