Broken Vessels

Going through my collection of garden paraphernalia I found a pair of matching candle

lanterns a friend gave me awhile back.  As I wiped off a thick layer of accumulated dust, I saw a crack in the pale yellow glass of one lantern. My first thought was: Too bad, I don’t want a cracked lantern in my garden. Maybe I should give it away and just keep the “good” one.

But then I heard the whisper...Aren’t you a little cracked? I haven’t thrown you away.  

I flash-backed to what now seems someone else’s life, but it’s mine. I remember the brokenness: memories of wrong paths and bad choices. The resulting consequences stab like pointing fingers in my mind. Mentally, I know that brokenness began way back in the first Garden, and I know that, now, I’m whole because of Jesus; but sometimes I forget both of these truths. I find myself trying and striving, wearing myself out, forgetting that I’m naturally broken. Relying on my own strength is like trying to run with one leg.

Even though I’m weak and flawed, my own strength can carry me a long way. I tend to think I can jump over tall buildings and stop trains, but, when I inevitably hit a wall, I remember that my strength can only accomplish so much. I cry out in frustration, anger, or helplessness, but deep inside I’m crying out for supernatural power, because that’s what I really need.

Is it possible to access supernatural power? How can I tap into God’s power instead of relying on my own? The Word, that powerful agent of Truth, says that He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. (Is 40:29) Knowing there is a power greater than what I possess gives me hope, but sometimes it’s hard to stop relying on myself. I keep trying to push through and I forget to slow down, wait, and listen. I have to choose “who’s boss” every day—me, or God. Sometimes I’m full of myself and forget my way isn’t always the best way. When I hit that “wall” I remember my weakness and it’s easier to step back and let God.

So maybe brokenness isn’t a bad thing—maybe it’s necessary—a little hammer God uses to help me let him in. When I let him take over and trust in his timing, the Lord of the Universe is able to “move mountains” and accomplish the impossible. What a beautiful metaphor for God’s action in our lives. And I have experienced it. Through the work of some hard knocks and lots of God’s grace, I’ve experienced the classic “beautifully broken” life.

I’m keeping the cracked candle lantern as a symbol of my brokenness. The light shining through the crack reminds me that it’s not my strength or perfection that God is after, but my brokenness, so he can shine through. Be encouraged in your weakness and let this truth renew your mind: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”  2 Cor. 4:7  

And let this song stir up gratefulness for what Christ has done: Broken Vessels