Finding Beauty in the Broken

(photo courtesy: graphicstock.com)

“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”- Psalm 32:5

We had a good snow fall at my house the other day. It was beautiful to watch the snowflakes fall on the tree limbs and coat the grass in our backyard. There is something about snow that reminds me of the purification process Christ does for all of us.

As I was looking out the back door with a cup of coffee in hand watching the flakes settle, I found myself staring at a large pine tree at the back edge of the yard. The way the snow settled reminded me of a painting or picture you would see on a winter postcard.

Then, I looked beyond the snow. Behind the beauty was death. The tree had lost its color on the inside. Limbs were dry and no life could be seen. However, the whiteness of the snow covered what was damaged.

This made me think again of how Christ works in and through us for His Father's glory. His work on earth brought about a restoration for all of creation. The sacrifice on the cross purified everyone in order to reveal God’s message of redemption.

The blood from the cross covered us just as the snow covered the pine tree in the yard.

The blood covered us up hiding the death on the inside.

Another aspect of the snow that is significant is the fact that it melts to provide life water to the trees. Once that water soaks into the ground and hits the roots, the death within changes its course. The green returns and the limbs are strong again.

This is how the blood of Christ moves in us. It covered our death, hiding it within, but in the process soaking into the roots of all of us who accept His message, and revealing a new life!

Our brokenness is why Christ came. Our eventual death is why He sacrificed His life in order to give us life.

We find His peace in our brokenness; we find His glory in our life; we find our purification in His sacrifice; and we find that His brokenness on the cross made us beautiful again.

May we walk in the beauty and splendor of His majesty. May we walk in new life recognizing our death has been conquered and breath has been sent into our lungs through the blood of Jesus.

It bears repeating: We are made beautiful through His brokenness. May we see the beauty in the broken and the glorious light in the divine ransom for us all!

QUESTION: Where do you His beauty shining most in your life?