Kintsugi
“And in the end, we were all just humans...
drunk on the idea that love,
only love, could heal our brokenness.”
― Christopher Poindexter ―
Because when all we can see is our brokenness and scattered pieces He sees the whole vessel we are, He knows what we really are like and what we are meant to hold and accomplish with His given shape.
Love isn’t afraid of brokenness.
God isn’t afraid of our brokenness.
He Knows our current state.
I stumbled upon an intriguing picture one day that moved my heart and birthed this article's topic. It is this piece of ceramic appearing broken yet that has been repaired with gold.
All cracks are visible, just as scars.
Drawn by its aesthetic, I felt the need to know what it was all about. I discovered that in fact, it is an ancient Japanese art and philosophy called : Kintsugi.
Now, I am not here to promote this philosophy. Though I wish to respect people and foreign cultures, this ancient art is part of Buddhist philosophies and practices which is not part of my confession.
That said, I trully love the ideas it conveys :
- To not simply throw away something broken
- Because something got broken doesn't mean it is worthless
- Instead, broken things can be fixed
- Not only can it be repaired, but here it is magnified it with gold, (which means impacting its former worth !)
- There is value in its past history and there is a new beginning possible, considering that past
Another special idea is also found here, that I especially love for its very counter-culture position :
- Not everything looking flawless is necessarily the ultimate definition of beauty.
In fact, with this Kintsugi philosophy, it's like saying that imperfection also holds beauty! Which I totally LOVE !
When you think of how much our western culture treats us, more and more as merchandises, simply take a look at how it values and feeds the utopian dream of beauty, found in symmetrical perfection, tightly-controlled and calibrated weight, mark-free look, standardised and approved color tones and many more... When most of the time, what only gets qualified as "beautiful" is this kind of rectilinear aspect, how I welcome these thoughts as a breath of fresh air !
It makes me think of the way God works in our lives, and this truly leaves me in awe and grateful.
Just think for an instant of how in our flawed humanity we keep missing and missing and missing again then again the target and just kind of failing at living the life the way we aspire to…
I’ve stopped counting the times I have made mistakes and I've taken the wrong road when having to take a decision because it simply happens all the time.
We are the result of our decisions and unfortunately, as connected humans, we also are the result of other people's choices.
Some choices break us.
But the thing is, we were never promised a bump-free road neither a storm-free ride in life in the first place and especially not in the Christian life...
God isn’t Tinkerbell and life isn't Wonderland. I feel I need to clarify this for a second, we need to just stop dreaming about a problems-free life already !!! Sorry -not really sorry- there's no such thing. If it reassures you, I myself is the first needing to be reminded of this, more often that I'd wish…
Sometimes we found ourselves in the valley. Deprived of perspective and depth of field ! We are only perceiving what's right in front of our eyes because of our restricted sight; but there's more yet unseen beyond the foreground.
Only, in order to see further, we need to change the focus target.
This, we only perceive and discover once we lift our eyes off the issues and receive the Divine and vital vision & insights, necessary to overcome the current battle we are facing.
So as God's vessels* , let's not forget that He is the one who created and shaped us for a precise goal in the first place. Not only did He formed us but He gave us a purpose to unearth, what we also name in the Christian jargon : a calling to fulfill.
*2 Timothy 2:21
Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master (NKJV)
Whether we realise it or not and no matter when it hits us, at some point we'll all have to deal with some kind of brokenness in our lives.
In moment like such, let's allow God to perform one of the numerous art He is excellent at : The healing.
Let's allow Him to mend us and let us be more attentive and receptive to what He is teaching while he is healing a particular fragment of our life.
Pieces by pieces, in order to get in that whole state, that initial form He intended, we need to let Him rebuild us.
He sees potential in each of these pieces.
If you believe the Word of God, you know that it says He is Jehova Rapha, the one who mends
What about the scars... ?
Well friends, they simply are reminders of the journey.
I think we should try and see the beauty of it and stop stressing about what other people have to say about it, us girls especially... Scars remind us that life ain't a calm river flowing straight. It has bends, currents and unexpected falls... Scars remind us of where we came from and that living has a cost; all the more when you choose to live purposefully.
At the beginning of July, I was talking to my dear friend N.
(By the way, dear N., when you'll read this I want you and all readers to know that you are a beautiful friend and enlightened leader. I know for now that you see yourself simply as a young padawan but I believe you will become that mighty prayer warrior, so go on in that path you took!!)
We were talking about seasons of life and how often as humans we are experiencing difficulties, how we believe it is normal to feel down at times and she said something that resonnated in me. I want to share it with you, hoping it will let you see the light wherever you find yourself right now and also because I believe it was a Word of God in due season; so receive your share !
The Word of God is living and ACTIVE** so let it produce in you what God intends !
**Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged [a]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the [b]soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. (AMP)
She said :
"Sometimes the way we have managed to build ourselves is all crooked and in order for us to get where we need to be, a breaking and rebuilding process is necessary. God is building us brick by brick and with each of these bricks is a special revelation attached to it"
Wow !
"A special revelation attached to each of these bricks", meaning that every time a piece is placed back unto the edifice of our life, this Divine work in progress, we also get to unveil a new part of who God is in our lives and discover who we are in Him !
How incredibly encouraging is this ?!!
Often, another important detail missing among the informations we are given, (or maybe it is only me that often forget to consider it...)
It is the length factor.
Yes, I know I am going to heal.
Eventually.
Yes I am going to grow.
Yes I am going to change.
Yes I am going to upgrade and learn.
The question I wonder upon though, is : when ?
When is this next level going to be reached ? Furthermore, how long is it going to take for me to get there ?
When you feel as impatient as I sometimes do, let's remember that most of the important things in life are learnt in processes, not directly in the ticked tasks and goals reached.
When keeping in mind this perspective and way of approaching the various circumstances of life, it gives the energy to keep going and build the necessary momentum to not giving up.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
"He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [...]"
Let me say that it is essential for us to understand that until God as completely mended the vessel we are, we will not yet be able to hold and accomplish the full of what He has in mind for us to contain.
We'll probably manage to carry pieces and bits around but trying to carry more with a stagnant broken state, will only end up in us watching sadly the substance leak through the cracks.
Now you may think, yeah right but will I ever be completely healed and whole ?
I believe God works on us all along our human timeframe and as there are seasons, we need to learn to be sensitive to His Spirit's guidance in order to achieve the right amount of assignments He intends. It also means that we will carry exactly the right measure for our capacity at this particular span of life. This way, is how to not get quickly overwhelmed.
Remember, God never asks us to do something too big for us to accomplish.
For it is written :
1 Corinthians 10:13
For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently. (AMPC)
What if our broken lives is like puzzle pieces ? What if our lives really mean something at the end ? And what if our pieces are part of a way bigger project than we can ever think of or imagine ?
1 Corinthians 2:9
But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]. (AMPC)
It is incredible how things fall into places when we find ourselves right into God's plan for our lives, the pieces simply fits with each other, without strife.
Proverbs 10:22
The blessing of the Lord brings [true] riches, And He adds no sorrow to it [for it comes as a blessing from God]. (AMPC)
The very thing we are afraid of, our brokenness,
is the door to our Father’s heart.
_Paul E.Miller_
Doesn't matter how broken you look and feel or the way you got broken.
No matter into how many pieces you got broken or what broke you.
Rest assured that there's no hurt God can't heal.
There is no crack He can't mend and there's no bruise able to separate you from Him.
And even if there were...wait, there's none.
He loves to fill our cracks with His presence, love, purpose and blessings therefore if you let Him, you will soon get some clarity and sanity back as He pours a portion of hope, holiness and glory into the vessel you are.
God's hand is on your life and mine.
Jeremiah 18:4
And the vessel that he was making from clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he made it over, reworking it into another vessel as it seemed good to the potter to make it. (AMPC)