A friend in Japan sent me this image today and I found it
quite compelling. It illustrates the art of kintsukuroi, which literally means
“to repair with gold.” It is the art of repairing broken pottery with gold or
silver lacquer to make the final piece a greater work of art for having been
broken.
I love how image illustrates what my Father does in the
brokenness of our world. He’s able to pick up the pieces of our shattered lives
and craft them back together in a way that makes us an even better reflection
of his glory than we were before. Amazing. Just amazing!
Is that why God is not so easily threatened by the problems
and challenges we face in this age? Where we see evil and failure, he sees the
opportunity to craft a better piece of art. I’ve been through some horrible
things in my life and have suffered some crushing disappointments, but as I
look back I see God doing his work of healing in all of them that led me into a
greater place of freedom, healing, and joy. Yes, much of that was through many
tears and anguish, but I just kept coming to him and surrendering as best I
knew to what he was doing in me.
I love where I’ve landed in his life and I know much of the
joy that I live now came out of those selfish and arrogant places that were
crushed in times of personal failure, betrayal by others, frustration, or
grief. As I look back, however, I do see others who were part of those same
circumstances that didn’t find the same healing and freedom. Instead their
brokenness caused them to withdraw into their own strength and fight harder for
those things they think they wanted. They end up imprisoned by their own will
in sorrow, stress, and pain. His healing does not come from trying to save
ourselves, but only when we give up and come to him and let his healing patch
us back together.
One of the phrases Eugene Peterson uses recurrently in his
translation of the Bible (The Message) is that Jesus will have “the last word
on everything thing and everyone.” He uses that for those Scriptures that talk
of Jesus being seated at the right hand of God and all things will be put under
his feet. I love that thought.
It’s one I explored further in In Season, because my dad
always had the last word on his vineyard. Even though many workers came to
harvest the grapes or prune the vines, he was always the last presence passing
through his vineyard. He would go behind everyone else and find whatever was
missed, fix whatever was wrong, and ensure that it was all just the way he
wanted it.
No matter what happens in this age, he will get the last
word. He doesn't have it yet. Many times the wicked seem to prevail and those
who cheat seem to get ahead. But if we keep our eyes on him, we’ll be able to
see things as they really are and be at peace even in a world that is falling
apart around us. Why? Because he can have the last word on everything that
happens to you today, and he will have the last word on everything in this
entire age soon!
Hope you all enjoy reading this. God bless the writer.
Hasta Luego! Cheers ~
Andrew Tham
Twitter : @NdruTham
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