Our Circumstances Are Not Construction Zones
Do you ever question your value, or wonder why things in your life are happening? I can find myself asking God, "why me?" and even viewing my circumstances and situations as construction zones. I make decisions but when I look up I see caution lights that make me question what I decided. It's like my life is full of speed bumps, broken sidewalks, and flashing lights that I should be paying attention to. It reminds me of the construction zones I see on the highway. Each event in our life serves a purpose; the good, the bad, and the ugly are all shaping us. The good news is the price for each of our lives is a price no one else can afford. Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price, He knows our value. We are beautifully broken...
Broken, but Not Destroyed
Remember, we all have pains, people lie to us, others make us feel less important and possibly not valued. There is safety in realizing none of these things have destroyed us. We are conquers of our fears and are not supposed to feel guilty for our past. I can be vulnerable and admit I struggle with forgiving myself. I blame myself for the damage and destruction I can see as my life. Flashing lights, orange cones, hazard signs and other warnings I failed to acknowledge in the past make up what I see as a damaged road.
“True forgiveness is when you can say, "Thank you for that experience.” ― Oprah Winfrey.
In the article, A big, beautiful, broken mess reminds us that "...God doesn’t look at a mess and see it the way that we do." Since we are humans we interpret brokenness as a negative characteristic. I find myself placing a ton of energy in regret and self-condemnation; focusing on broken parts instead of remembering Jesus died for my sins. He tells us "... it is finished". This signifies His willingness to die for our sins, our struggles, our fears, and our inequities. My exterior can look broken, but my heart and worthiness belong to God. Therefore, what I see as a construction zone God sees as a perfect canvas.I remind myself daily that the enemy will not win and has no control over my life. The desire he has to kill, steal and destroy is not going to overshadow God's grace. "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace." Acts 20:24
We Are Beautiful
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14 We are the image of Christ. Because of this, we can live knowing that any faults we see in ourselves are not from Him. Hard times are not a stranger to most people. What we must keep in mind is that our brokenness does not mean destruction. Our pieces are in the hands of the most high and He holds the key to shaping us. We are strong and resilient as the result of broken times. Even if we feel broken, the broken pieces make each of us uniquely beautiful."Sometimes when you're in a dark place you think you've been buried, but you've actually been planted.” ― Christine Caine. We are beautiful paintings, not construction zones."