If you've ever been in my house, you might notice that I have a thing for glass, in all forms. Depending on what season we're in, the top of my cub board will display an array of glassy items, with a strand of lights to illuminate them, at night. In my heart, I smile when I see it. Art makes me happy. It reminds me of how creative God is; His handiwork through our fingertips.I remember going up to Split Rock Lighthouse, on a trip up north. The shoreline is often covered with pieces of colored glass, washed up from old shipwrecks that happened years ago. The once sharp edges, now worn away from being tossed along the waves and rocks. I brought home a bottle full of them once. They looked better under water, but still pretty. Its funny what we treasure, what attracts us, isn't it?
Walking by this mosaic(above), I was amazed at its eclectic beauty. I wondered how long it took the artist to mold all the pieces into place. How did they draw the scale of the picture to fit on the side of a brick building? Probably used some serious ladders, or maybe scaffolding. I think it turned out great. I don't know where a person finds that much broken glass, but I'm glad that someone has the vision to put it to good use.
In Psalm 68:6a, it reads, "God sets the lonely in families..." The meaning of the word 'family', here, probably doesn't mean just blood-related. There is a picture of so much more, in just that one sentence. The lonely. One who is isolated. One whose home may have been broken. One whose life lays in shards. I'm imagining God placing that person in an environment where the broken pieces can be swept up, dusted off, and put in a jar for safe-keeping.
We can often find someone worse off, or better off than ourselves, at any given moment. I would like to venture that all people are 'cracked pots', in one way or another. We get chipped, knocked over, tossed around, and sometimes...broken. That is the nature of living on earth. Our character becomes shaped and tested through tough times, revealing what is within. Some appear to have it worse than others, but life is still life...kinda crazy, at times.
I am a cracked, broken pot. I have pieces that will never go back together again. I've endured loss in many ways. I've experienced feelings of neglect & abandonment. I know what its like to have innocence taken away, only to be replaced with emptiness. I have felt lonely, depressed, more than I care to admit. The ache for my mom remains; for her to see all that her grand kids are doing and becoming...for the person her daughter is becoming.
But in spite of all that, I give a shout out for how great our God is. Guess what He's doing? He has that jar of broken pieces...He is the artist. He has each one of us in the place where we need to be, to shape us, bringing healing and restoration. As the picture of our life comes together, so does our family unit, along with us. He sends the right people into our life, at just the right time.
There is an expression on my wall, surrounded by pictures: "Our family is a circle of strength and love, with every birth and union it grows. Every crisis faced together makes the circle stronger." It holds true for us. When family comes to mind, included in that is church family, MOPS family, study group, music team, former co-workers, friends of all ages. You all have made a difference, and I thank you for being a part of our lives. Love you all, so much : )
The foundation, the Rock, that holds us together is strong. When we build upon that, the beauty is lasting and ever-changing. Each piece, carefully placed, mortared and glued down. Only God could put people together in that way. He has a plan, an idea of what the picture will look like. I can hardly wait to see it someday. Until then, we trust...we live...we laugh...we cry...we fall down...get back up...love...forgive...each piece, creating something beautiful.
