Monday, February 27, 2012

Making Room {for Healing}

"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted.
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
"
(Psalm 34:18 NASB)

I told my husband recently that I’d found a great way to make more room in our kitchen cabinets. After he kindly took the bait & asked how, I told him that I just keep breaking dishes. {Really, I don’t know what the deal is, but it has happened a bunch lately.}

But I’m actually not too bummed about it. Because both my glasses and my dishes have unfortunately lost their luster in recent years.
My glasses show the years they spent regularly immersed in water so hard it could cut through a rock. {With every run of the dishwasher, they sadly escaped looking worse than when they went in.}

And the random display of scratch marks on our plates evidence that apparently they weren’t made for cutting. {Wish that memo would have come with the product.} And several of them have cracked under the pressure of microwave heat. {That memo would have been nice, too.}
For the most part, I’ve gotten used to their ugly scars. Probably because they’ve been that way for so long. But since they’ve lost their visual appeal, make no mistake – I’ll gladly part with the stains and the scratches! {And secretly hope that as a result, someday I’ll get need to buy new ones.}

The other day, it struck me that in many ways, I am like these couriers of cuisine.
My mind a glass with cloudy misplaced hope that distorts my vision.
My heart scraped up from critical words that cut like a knife.
And my emotions? Well, they can certainly crack under pressure when the heat is too much.
Many days my soul is fragile china in a world of careless bulls that threaten to crush me.

But I believe that sometimes Jesus allows our hearts to break.
To make more room.
Room for uninhibited freedom.
Room for restored beauty.
Room for renewed joy.

Room in our souls for undiminished healing.
More room for Him.


Our Father is a gentleman, though. Oftentimes, He waits until we can see our pain for what it is.
Until we're ready to abandon to renewal and redemption.

Until we’re ready to part with our pain.

He beckons us, as if to say,
Oh, My precious child,
You don’t have to bear these stains any longer.
You don’t have to feel those scratches in your soul when critical knives are near.
Release your scars, My child.

Bring them to Me.
Bring them all.

And let Me wash you in My living water of hope, healing, and life abundant.
I conveniently neglected to mention that I also have a few pieces that I’m NOT ready to part with, even though they clearly need to go. I have these oversized mugs that I absolutely love to use for pretty much anything. They are my goldilocks bowls – not too big, and not too small. Just right.

But sadly, bear mug 1 and bear mug 2 {See, they even exude the warmth of a bear hug!} now both have a broken handle. So there is now a sharp, jagged knob protruding from each of the two mugs. {Even my 1st grader pointed out that they’re major safety hazards.}

But I LIKE my oversized bear mugs! And all the alternatives before my human eyes will be either, well, you know – too big, or too small.

But patiently, He waits. Offering me something far better than the short-lived comfort of my bear mugs.
Whenever I invite Him to make more room.

Have you ever thought of the aches in your soul as actually serving you well? {to make more room for God?}
Or brokenness as a means to beauty?
Maybe you hang onto pieces in life that are hazards to your heart like I do.

Know that our Father longs to pick up all of the sharp, broken pieces of your shattered soul. To put them back together in way that you never would have imagined.

Webster defines luster as “the state or quality of shining by reflecting light.”

Invite Him to restore your luster, my friend.

8 comments:

  1. I know what you mean. On one hand, I can't stand having so much clutter in my heart. But on the other hand, I'm too chicken to de-clutter.

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    1. that's exactly it -- too chicken to de-clutter. because i know the pride that lurks just below the surface, & how fiercely it scratches & claws whenever truth draws near. but God is greater.

      thx for stopping by, travis -- great to have you here!

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  2. Such a good analogy! We're sharp and scratched and broken but loved just the same.

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    1. to think that He's DRAWN to my jagged edges & scratches . . . because Love longs to smooth & heal them.

      i've seen you around the blog world several times lately, so it was a treat to have you visit!

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  3. I love your writing style and feel like we are becoming friends. Thank you for sharing this post!

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    1. i can't tell you how encouraging that is, jamie -- such a big complement, esp. coming from you. because i truly feel the same way about your writing. i always feel like i am sitting right across from you as you are simply thinking out loud. LOVE that! so i, too, have enjoyed being your new neighbor. ;) blessings to you, sweet friend!

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  4. This was beautiful.... a wonderful analogy!! Thanks for sharing this!

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    1. thank you, friend. i'm such a left-brain kinda girl that whenever i see an abstract concept in the concrete, it's undeniable evidence that it was entirely from the Lord!

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