“You may feel broken, but you are irrefutably still useable. God loves you, and He loves to use the broken.”
We’ve all experienced storms that seem to hit all at once, sometimes in every facet of our lives. When storms come, it feels like everything is falling apart, which sometimes causes us to fall apart. The severity and frequency of the storms can make us feel so broken that we believe we may not be able to survive.
During these storms, we ask ourselves, “How do I survive this storm that is tearing my family apart? How do I survive this financial storm, or survive being unemployed? How do I survive this health crisis?” Is it possible to survive the storms that leave our hearts so broken that we can’t seem to function?
Any time we are about the Father’s business, we may face some storms and dark times. John 16:33 (AMPC) says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have (perfect) peace and confidence. In the world, you will have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration, but be of good cheer. Take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted! For I have overcome the world.”
God will never leave us nor forsake us, and we will make it through every storm. How? Because God is sovereign. He has the power to conquer and override everything we may encounter. God has deprived the storms of this world the power to harm us and has conquered them for us. I don’t know about you, but this gives me great peace and strength knowing I will make it through the storms of life.
After the storms have come and gone, how can we still be useable when we feel so broken?
Bishop Dale C. Bonner of Faith Family Worship Cathedral in Atlanta tells a story about a broken crayon. He says, “Everyone has a story about a broken crayon. You know what it is like to have a crayon to color with, and that crayon snaps in your hand — or you pull out a color only to find that it’s barely large enough to fit in your hand. The mind goes straight to the thought, ‘This picture is ruined, because of this broken crayon ….’ But wait a minute — last time I checked, a broken crayon still colors, doesn’t it? Yes, it does! No one likes to color with broken colors, but they are still useable!”
This simple truth applies to more than just crayons. Broken dreams still can be realized. Broken hearts still have purpose and can give purpose. Just because it is broken doesn’t mean that it holds no value. He loves to put the pieces back together again to make us whole.
Psalms 34:18 tells us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
You may feel broken, but you are irrefutably still useable. God loves you, and He loves to use the broken.
Robin Killeen is founder of W.O.W. (Women of Wisdom). W.O.W. meets every second Wednesday of the month at noon at the Knight Nonprofit Center in Gulfport.
