Cracked Pots

“Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why do you make me like this?” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?”(Romans 9: 20, 21)

Kintsugi is the ancient Japanese art of putting broken pieces back together with gold(or sometimes another precious metal) and taking something that is broken or flawed, and making something even stronger and more beautiful out of the brokenness. It is both amazing and beautiful!

The first time I ever heard about this and saw a picture of the finished product I felt like yelling out, ‘Yes!’  Having lived with chronic pain for most of my adult life has often left me feeling very cracked and broken. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t be useful and beautiful.

God is not surprised by my brokenness. After all, he made me! And whether he uses me for noble purposes or for common use as this verse suggests, the point is, he can and will use me, cracks and all, to shine the love of Jesus to a broken and hurting world.

How about you? Do you identify with feeling like you too are a cracked pot? Remember ‘kintsugi’, making something beautiful out of the broken pieces. God wants to do exactly that!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you that you made me just the way I am. You are the potter and I am the clay. Use me Lord and help me to remember that you want to shine through my cracks. Help me not to use my brokenness as an excuse not to be impacting the world around me. Amen.