Beautifully Broken

Yesterday I found myself with nothing to do and the urge to create something. I went to the local craft store looking for unfinished wood and paint, but was inexplicably drawn to a mosaic art kit instead.

I am a firm believer in things choosing you. You are drawn to certain people, items, times, events all for very specific reasons whether you are aware of it or not. I have never had the desire to do mosaics in my entire life, but suddenly there I was standing in line and and feeling very good about the votive candle holders I was going to make.

As I was reviewing the instructions on the back of the box it hit me. The very first step in mosaics is to take the shiny, perfectly square pieces of glass and break them with a hammer. They have to be broken before they can be used in the beautiful art form that is mosaics.

Then I knew why this had called to me. I have a laundry list of things in my life that I would love to go back and fix, change, rearrange or simply undo, but I'm not allowed. I shouldn't even wish it. Somehow, all those mess ups and broken pieces are being arranged into something amazingly beautiful.

While this is hardly an original lesson in life, it is the one of which I needed to be reminded of at that moment.

One of my favorite songs by Corrine Bailey Rae says, "All these things happen for a reason, don't you go and throw it all away." I love that line because again it reminds me that "everything" really does mean everything... the good, the bad, the ugly and especially the things that are "beyond repair".

It was G-d's way of gently reminding me to relax because He is using every broken piece, every shard in a way that I cannot begin to comprehend. And everything He does is good, everything he makes is beautiful... and that means me too...:)