Beauty from Ashes

You know when you can't escape what The Lord is trying to teach you? Well, I am totaly there right now. Everything I read, listen to, conversations with friends, I tell you EVERYTHING has to do with our sweet Jesus and how He uses our past and the broken pieces to create something beautful.

Anyway.....I was surfing the blog world when I stumbled upon one named Bring the rain. The Lord used that days entry titled Blink to meet me right where I am so I just had to forward it on to my friends that are so precious to me! Well, as it turns out one of them had read her blog before and passed along one entry titled "The past and the present." I knew I was in trouble when she added....get your kleenex! As I lay in bed about to fall asleep I started reading what Angie had to say. Let me tell you-this woman has been blessed to write. To make a long story short during the morning of her child she broke a pitcher and then put it back together again. Hereare the words The Lord used to minister to me.

"I began to realize that this pitcher was my life, and every piece was part of story that He had chosen to put together. I started crying, and remembering things I thought I had forgotten. It took a long time to finish, but it was time well spent. Every nook and cranny whispered to me, until at last it stood in all its imperfection."

Let me explain....In my last post I wrote about how I feel like The Lord is trying to break me of my people pleasing tendencies, I try so hard to be that "perfect person" on the outside when in reality inside I am crying out, "please help me!" When I read the line "I began to realize tha this picture was my life, and every piece was part of the story that He had choosen to put together." I began to thank Him-Yes, thank Him for my imperfections! Without them I would not be me, the person that my precious savior has so softly and tenderly put back together time and time again from the brokeness that has only caused me to need Him more. For that I am so thankful!

Just when I thought The Lord was done dealing with me He wasn't. As I continued to read her words He used another line to speak to me.......

"He loves the gaps because there is the potential for more of Himself revealed in you. Let him help you smash and rebuild his most coveted posession...you."

After reading this I hit my knees and my prayer went something like this:
"Lord Jesus, thank you for the gaps and the broken pieces in my life. I pray that you will use them for Your glory-that despite of whatever circumstance I may face that your love and faithfulness would shine through the gaps. Thank you for revealing yourself to me through those gaps. I praise you for my imperfections and where I may fall short for they force me to depend on you more. Thank you for catching me everytime I fall. I pray that you will continue to mold me into a woman who is seeking hard and fast after your own heart."

The Lord is clearly teaching me a precious lesson right nowduring this season of life. I can't wait to see the beauty that comes out of the cracks!

"Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18