Brokenness

This blog started out as a very small Facebook post way back on August 25, 2015. It showed up on my memories and I thought I would share it on here.

I had been to the Dollar Tree one day looking for a few things and I happened to see two little kids with these things around their necks. They looked like some sort of thin tubing but I really couldn't tell what they were. Anyway, the young girls were giggling and saying "break it and shake it". I went on about trying to find what I wanted but could hear the kids in the background talking about their newfound goodies.

I went around a couple of aisles and ended up at the register with the girls and who I assumed to be their mom. I was behind them waiting for my turn and was struck by how those little tubes had completely captured their attention. After their mom paid for them, she announced they finally belonged to them and they could go ahead and "break them".

I was in shock! She had just bought them a toy of some sort and she was going to allow them to be broken?

Why would you want something that is broken, especially right after you purchased it?

They slowly moved out of my way and I began to check out. On their way out the door, I could hear the girls laughing and saying, "oohhh" about whatever was happening with their necklaces. I smiled to myself and figured it was something I'd never understand and went about my business of paying.

As I was walking toward my car, I could see the mom and the two little ones at the backside of their SUV, while she was loading up her purchases. I was finally able to see what the fuss was all about. Their toys were now glowing! They were putting off a beautiful bright light that had the girls in awe. I stepped a little closer and told the mom that I had been wondering what had them so happy and intrigued. She explained they were glow sticks and the ends could be snapped together and made into necklaces to wear around their tiny necks. I asked her what made them light up and she explained there was some kind of solution in them that, when broken, was activated and made the light.

"Ohhh," I commented and smiled, still unsure of its purpose. I could tell the mother knew I was struggling to understand the benefits of them so she began to explain.

She told me that her kids liked them because they were pretty but she and her husband had found them to be useful to have around the house in case of power outages. She explained the light usually lasted for about twelve hours and was also good to take when they were walking after dark to ensure they are seen by traffic. I smiled and went away with a newfound knowledge of something I have yet to buy, lol.

A few days later I was watching a teaching by one of my favorites, Joyce Meyer. She was talking about being "broken" for God. She explained that only through our brokenness can God really use us for His purpose.

Jesus speaks in Matthew 26:26 of himself being broken when he took the bread, blessed it and broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is my body".

As human beings, God gave us all free will. We are free to choose what we want in life, who we want to be, the path we want to follow. If we choose to follow God, we have to put aside what we want and our will and accept His will in and for our lives. I can only speak for me personally when I say to do that, I had to completely give myself over to God and allow Him to break me from things that had me misguided. I asked Him to come in and search me, break me and allow me to become the person He wants to follow Him. Being broken for God means putting away everything of us and resting in Him, becoming dependent on Him alone.

I have seen cases where someone has had a broken bone but it didn't heal correctly and the doctor had to "break" it again and set it the right way for that bone to be the way it's supposed to be. That's really what God does to us. He has to break us the right way and then allow to heal and be what He has called us to be. After that, he can then use us for His purpose.

It's kind of the same way with the glow toys the kids had. They are able to serve their purpose as a necklace if that's all they wanted them for. But their real purpose becomes apparent once they are broken and the light shines forth. Then they are used to light the way in the darkness and help others see where to go.

I believe that God wants us to be like the glow sticks. Without being broken by Him, we are still useful for certain things. But once we allow ourselves to be "broken", we can then allow his Spirit to flow through us like the solution in the glow stick and we can shine in a dark world and light the way for others around who may not be able to see. Just like the sticks that got my attention, we can get other's attention by glowing for Jesus, therefore causing them to come to Him as well.

Psalm 51:17 tells us, "the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, He will not despise". He wants us to come to Him in our broken state because it's then that we are not our own and we are able to be used of Him for His will.

When God allows us to be broken, He will use it for our good and He alone will heal us and make us into what He wants us to be.

I hope this helps someone today. It has been on my mind to write for several days now, but I sometimes wonder if things in my simple mind make sense to anyone else. I hope it does. I love you all and I want you to succeed in anything you do.

Remember to work hard and Dream Big!!

Much love,

Christy