08/5/08
Beauty in Brokenness
Margaret Manning
Recently, I attended a retreat where there was a great deal of personal
sharing. I sat amazed as I listened to women from every walk of life,
most of whom were established Christians, share of heartache, pain, and
various aspects of struggle they had either just come through, or were
currently experiencing. I was overwhelmed by their honesty and by the
poignancy of their stories. But even more than this, I was overwhelmed by
the beauty radiating from within as they shared their stories.
Beauty in brokenness? Without glorifying suffering, there is an
unexpected beauty that can shine through stories of struggle. One friend
is a paraplegic broken in the use of her body, and yet she has a beautiful
spirit. Not limited by her brokenness, she uses her own difficulties to
help others, and teach others about true ability and disability. Tony
Snow, former White House Press Secretary, considered his cancer a
"calling" and in a recent article written in Christianity Today
said, "We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out. But
despite this--because of it-–God offers the possibility of salvation and
grace."(1) That possibility of salvation and grace is beauty in
brokenness.
Somehow, uniquely, God desires to use those difficult moments of our lives
to bring forth something extraordinarily beautiful. Even the natural
creation attests to this truth. In fall, we marvel at the gorgeous, lush
colors of burnt amber, burnished orange, brilliant red, and bright yellow
leaves, even as that beauty belies the slow and gradual death of those
leaves. Winter buries those leaves under the cold, dark blanket of snow
and frost. And yet, death brings forth life. Spring bursts forth year
after year with jonquils, iris, lilies, and all the beautiful pastels of
new life.
During a time of deep despair and suffering, King David wondered about
God's ability to be present in his dark places--to bring about beautiful
redemption in the midst of brokenness. He cried out to God, "Will your
lovingkindness be declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Will your wonders be made known in the darkness? And your righteousness
in the land of forgetfulness?" (Psalm 88:11-12). David wondered about
God's work in his life--had he been abandoned? Was God still guiding him
even in the deepest, darkest places of brokenness and fear? And even in
those places seemingly forgotten, would God continue to make things right?
David struggled to see how beauty could emerge out of brokenness. And
yet, he later affirmed in Psalm 139, "Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are
there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there... if I say, 'surely
the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the
darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for
darkness is as light to you." It is in those dark places of brokenness
and suffering that God brings forth luminous light so that even the dark
is illuminated.
The prophet Isaiah repeats this theme by promising one who would redeem
the exiles, giving them "a garland of beauty instead of ashes" and "the
treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may
know that I am the Lord... who summons you by name" (Isaiah 61:3, 45:3).
Perhaps, these were Scriptures recalled by the apostle Paul when he
declared that "we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the
surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; we
are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always
carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also
may be manifested in our body" (2 Corinthians 4:7-9). Indeed, Paul
declares that "the God who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is
the one who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Christ" (4:6). And so often, that face
of Christ is demonstrated with beautiful radiance through the broken and
dark places in our lives.
Today, if you are experiencing hardship, difficulty or personal darkness,
seek the light and beauty of Christ, for he longs to be present to you, to
give you a garland of beauty instead of ashes, to call you by name, and to
bring forth treasures of darkness. He is there in the brokenness with
you.
Margaret Manning is associate writer at Ravi Zacharias International
Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.
(1)Christianity Today, (July 2007, vol. 51, Number 7), 30.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright(c) 2008
Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM).
Reprinted with permission.
A Slice of Infinity is a ministry of Ravi Zacharias International
Ministries
Ravi Zacharias International Ministries may withdraw or modify this grant
of permission at any time http://www.rzim.org.
Beauty in Brokenness
Margaret Manning
Recently, I attended a retreat where there was a great deal of personal
sharing. I sat amazed as I listened to women from every walk of life,
most of whom were established Christians, share of heartache, pain, and
various aspects of struggle they had either just come through, or were
currently experiencing. I was overwhelmed by their honesty and by the
poignancy of their stories. But even more than this, I was overwhelmed by
the beauty radiating from within as they shared their stories.
Beauty in brokenness? Without glorifying suffering, there is an
unexpected beauty that can shine through stories of struggle. One friend
is a paraplegic broken in the use of her body, and yet she has a beautiful
spirit. Not limited by her brokenness, she uses her own difficulties to
help others, and teach others about true ability and disability. Tony
Snow, former White House Press Secretary, considered his cancer a
"calling" and in a recent article written in Christianity Today
said, "We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out. But
despite this--because of it-–God offers the possibility of salvation and
grace."(1) That possibility of salvation and grace is beauty in
brokenness.
Somehow, uniquely, God desires to use those difficult moments of our lives
to bring forth something extraordinarily beautiful. Even the natural
creation attests to this truth. In fall, we marvel at the gorgeous, lush
colors of burnt amber, burnished orange, brilliant red, and bright yellow
leaves, even as that beauty belies the slow and gradual death of those
leaves. Winter buries those leaves under the cold, dark blanket of snow
and frost. And yet, death brings forth life. Spring bursts forth year
after year with jonquils, iris, lilies, and all the beautiful pastels of
new life.
During a time of deep despair and suffering, King David wondered about
God's ability to be present in his dark places--to bring about beautiful
redemption in the midst of brokenness. He cried out to God, "Will your
lovingkindness be declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Will your wonders be made known in the darkness? And your righteousness
in the land of forgetfulness?" (Psalm 88:11-12). David wondered about
God's work in his life--had he been abandoned? Was God still guiding him
even in the deepest, darkest places of brokenness and fear? And even in
those places seemingly forgotten, would God continue to make things right?
David struggled to see how beauty could emerge out of brokenness. And
yet, he later affirmed in Psalm 139, "Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are
there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there... if I say, 'surely
the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the
darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for
darkness is as light to you." It is in those dark places of brokenness
and suffering that God brings forth luminous light so that even the dark
is illuminated.
The prophet Isaiah repeats this theme by promising one who would redeem
the exiles, giving them "a garland of beauty instead of ashes" and "the
treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may
know that I am the Lord... who summons you by name" (Isaiah 61:3, 45:3).
Perhaps, these were Scriptures recalled by the apostle Paul when he
declared that "we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the
surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; we
are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always
carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also
may be manifested in our body" (2 Corinthians 4:7-9). Indeed, Paul
declares that "the God who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is
the one who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Christ" (4:6). And so often, that face
of Christ is demonstrated with beautiful radiance through the broken and
dark places in our lives.
Today, if you are experiencing hardship, difficulty or personal darkness,
seek the light and beauty of Christ, for he longs to be present to you, to
give you a garland of beauty instead of ashes, to call you by name, and to
bring forth treasures of darkness. He is there in the brokenness with
you.
Margaret Manning is associate writer at Ravi Zacharias International
Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.
(1)Christianity Today, (July 2007, vol. 51, Number 7), 30.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright(c) 2008
Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM).
Reprinted with permission.
A Slice of Infinity is a ministry of Ravi Zacharias International
Ministries
Ravi Zacharias International Ministries may withdraw or modify this grant
of permission at any time http://www.rzim.org.
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