Beautifully Broken

I have a confession to make…I feel broken. Not a physical, broken bone kind of broken, but more of a ‘how is life going” kind of broken.

If we were to admit it, I think we all feel broken at times. And the reason for our brokenness varies. Death, loss of income, changes in job status. These are all reasons that can lead us to feel out of sorts, or broken.

When things become broken, we tend to feel that they have outlived their usefulness. Trash bins and landfills around the world are filled with broken things that no one saw worth in anymore. Yes, some of it is useless or have been used up, but sometimes other items could be re-purposed and brought back from brokenness with a little bit of love and care.

The unfortunate issue is when we as humans begin to devalue ourselves or others because of brokenness. We begin to demean, belittle, and devalue ourselves when the least little crack begins to surface.

Disco balls and kaleidoscopes both make use of broken things. A disco ball reflects light off the pieces of mirrored glass as it spins and offers a bright, fun environment, while a kaleidoscope uses pieces of broken glass to make colorful designs and visuals.

There is something special about both disco balls and kaleidoscopes: they both are made from broken things. They take broken glass or mirrors and repurpose them into things that are beautiful to look at. You can say that disco balls and kaleidoscopes are beautifully broken.

How much more beautiful would our lives be if we were to take those things that have broken us down and use them to make something beautiful of our lives? Think of how many fewer people would be stuck in mental crises if we celebrated the brokenness in our lives, instead of discarding ourselves at the slightest scratch.

OS, I challenge you to look at yourself as a disco ball. Pick up what you see as the broken pieces of your life, and pull them together in some fashion. Then, shine the light of your wonderful personality as it spins round, and dance like no one is watching.