Beauty in Brokenness

"Gather up the broken pieces that nothing will be lost." John 6:12 (NIV)

Every year I pray that Christmas will come. Those of you who have a history with Bible Bits probably understand what I mean by now, but for those wondering, "What is she talking about? Of course, Christmas will come!" let me explain. By Christmas coming I mean the extraordinary breaking into the ordinary and transforming my ordinary into something sacred. "Christmas coming" is a holy ground moment, much like Moses' experienced while tending sheep. After 40 years in the wilderness, living in obscurity as a shepherd, God broke into Moses' ordinary workday, spoke to him from a burning bush, and turned Moses' ordinary desert into holy ground. And lest we think that Moses was the exception, how about the shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks by night? (Luke2:8) The darkened fields and night sky suddenly shone with the glory of the Lord and God transformed the ordinary into extraordinary just by His presence among them.

I've had several holy ground/Christmas coming moments within the last week. Each one has been, and continues to be, a profound blessing. Last week I was leaving my Sunday School Class when someone stopped me in the hall and handed me a card. "I couldn't put this in the mail. When you open it you'll see why, but I wanted you to have this. If anyone understands beauty in brokenness, you do."

I thanked her, took the card, and stuck it in my purse until we got home. Opening the card, I read Helen's words. She had chosen Luke 2:11 "For unto you is born this day...a Savior." We had studied this verse together in our fall Lessons in Luke study. Her personal note inside the card would have been gift enough, but inside her card was a small pouch that contained a delicate, but exquisite gold necklace, that held a tiny shard of pottery. The name at the top of the card read "Nozomi" I had never heard the word Nozomi, but it means "hope" in Japanese. Nozomi, the project, is a "faith based social enterprise bringing sustainable income, community, dignity, and hope to the women in Ishinomaki, Japan by training them to craft high quality jewelry products. Nozomi women are creating one of a kind pieces of jewelry featuring broken pieces of pottery left in the wake of the 2011 tsunami." Helen's card read, "It is the reality of 'gathering the pieces that nothing shall be lost.'

A closer look at the product card holding the beautiful necklace provided further insight. I read, "holding hope..this necklace is made from broken pottery in Ishinomak, Japan by a community of women who survived the 2011 tsunami. Wear it as a reminder of beauty in brokenness." The Nozomi website explained that the three key words to describe the project's values and organization are community, restoration, and hope.

Broken pieces, holding hope, community, restoration, and beauty in brokenness. Each one of those words describes an aspect of the Gospel.  Only Jesus can make beauty out of our ashes; give us hope in our hopelessness; bind up our brokenness; bring us into the community of fellow believers; and restore all that the Fall marred (Genesis 3:13). Christmas is all about celebrating the Savior who came to save us, not just from ourselves, but from the penalty and power of sin. Christ's birth, death, and resurrection provides us with the freedom, forgiveness, and fulfillment of all that God has promised.

All of us have broken pieces that need to be gathered and then, once gathered, given to God. The question for each of us is "What am I doing with my broken pieces?" Am I gathering and giving them to God or am I holding on to them in bitterness, anger, or resentment? Our choice is to gather and give or hold on and hoard. This Christmas as we celebrate our Savior's birth,  may we remember Nozomi's "beauty in brokenness" message.

Beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3)

Amen and Amen!

Donna