Flaws like Gold

2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 (click link to read passage)

Reflection:

Paul had some sort of issue – we are not sure what it was. Maybe he had a stutter. Maybe he had chronic migraines. Whatever it was, however, it was disruptive enough for him to call it “a messenger from Satan.” He begged God to remove it from him, but God’s response was simple; “my grace is enough for you – for power is made perfect in weakness.”

At first glance, God’s response seems at once uncaring and unintelligible. What in the world does it mean that “power is made perfect in weakness?”

If we dig a little deeper, though – all of us can recognize a place, sometimes buried deep within ourselves, that recognizes the truth behind these words.

When, in your life, have you felt emptied out and ready to give up?

When, in your life, have you been forced to admit you couldn’t handle it all?

When, in your life, were you moved to humility and dependence on the divine?

Even though these times might be difficult to remember, they are often the times we are closest to the truth of God’s words to Paul. We like to put up a façade of self-sufficiency, but it is actually the cracks in that façade that most powerfully point others to the presence of Christ in our lives.

For me, my “cracks” surround childhood sadness, and my own intimate experiences with the “messenger from Satan” called depression. But oh, those cracks shine so bright with God’s grace and light! Those times show so brilliantly that God’s grace really is sufficient for me – and for you, too.

The picture above is of an ancient Japanese bowl repaired with gold filling. That’s how they did it back then – not to hide the cracks, but to make them shine all the more. I have no doubt that this is what God is doing in our lives, too.

So don’t be afraid to let God’s grace shine through the cracks in your façade. Odds are, those cracks are the very places others feel most comfortable around you because there are no pretentions – and because if you’re not perfect, maybe they don’t have to be perfect to be around you.

I want to close with a song by my favorite acoustic guitarist, Peter Mayer (www.petermayer.net) called “Japanese Bowls.” The lyrics say it all:

I’m like one of those Japanese bowls

That were made long ago

I have some cracks in me

They have been filled with gold

That’s what they used back then

When they had a bowl to mend

It did not hide the cracks

It made them shine instead

So now every old scar shows

From every time I broke

And anyone’s eyes can see

I’m not what I used to be

But in a collector’s mind

All of these jagged lines

Make me more beautiful

And worth a much higher price

I’m like one of those Japanese bowls

I was made long ago

I have some cracks you can see

See how they shine of gold

Prayer:

God of grace, when I can’t, you can. Shine through my life today – and help me to graciously accept my flaws as places where you can shine even brighter. Amen.

God Scatters Snow Like Wool...

Isaiah 55:10-12 (Click link to read passage)

Reflection:

It was hard to see any good in it. Snow was everywhere. We don’t own a snowblower, so it meant hours and hours of shoveling. I was scheduled to leave for a conference out of town, so it meant cancelled flights and non-refundable hotel rooms empty.

It was hard to see any good in the massive storm that hit the Midwest yesterday, and Spring seems so far away.

And yet, as neighbors emerged from their houses to help one another out, a sense of community developed in my neighborhood like I haven't seen in the two years we've lived there. Everyone was helping everyone else out. My kids were playing in the middle of the street while neighbors talked and joked. It was a blessed, peaceful moment in the midst of an otherwise crazy day.

In the passage linked above, Isaiah is reminding his listeners, and us, that whether we can see past current obstacles or not, God is busy bringing about new life. Isaiah is reminding his listeners, and us, that even when it isn’t obvious, God is weaving all things together to accomplish his purposes.

Isaiah uses the image of snow, which speaks to me today. Just as I can’t yet see the new flowers and grass that will sprout in months thanks to the healthy dose of water, so sometimes the “good” in some situations in our lives seems buried beneath a mountain of obstacles.

So I’m rejoicing in Isaiah’s words today -

Don’t forget – Spring is coming!

Don’t forget – Easter is coming!

Don’t forget – Jesus is coming!

Prayer:

God of every good gift, help me to put my trust in you today so that I might not miss the buried blessings springing forth all around me. Amen.