“but you are a savior and you take brokenness aside and make it beautiful.”
-Brokenness Aside by All Sons and Daughters
I learned a great deal about brokenness this month and the painful, yet beautiful role it must play in order for redemption to have its way. This month I was broken greatly by what I saw. I’ll never forget the moment I saw my first boat of refugees come ashore. The sound of the babies crying and the site of their soaking wet clothes will live with me forever. My first reaction when the boat landed was one of celebration and praise. I found myself thanking God for delivering those people safely across the Aegean Sea with their lives. In just a few brief moments though, I found myself overwhelmed with great sorrow and heartbreak, and what began as joy, quickly turned into despair. I couldn’t seem to wrap my head around why these ordinary people must endure so much suffering and peril. I was reminded at that port in Skala of the great discontent I have for living in a broken, fallen, and unjust world.
A volunteer helps a child change out of his soaking wet clothes just moments after stepping off the boat.
Later that week on one of my off days, I escaped to a place on the island that I would go to when I needed to be alone, a place on the edge of the shore where I could sit and process all that is going on around me. It was in this place where, without fail, Jesus would come and meet me. He would sit there next to me on the rocks and in a way only He could, would comfort me and begin to speak His great Truth over me. On that day He assured me of how all the brokenness would be mended. He taught me that in the same way He takes our personal brokenness and makes us whole and new, so too will He mend the great and profound brokenness of the world as a whole. My entire life He has been showing me how He takes the brokenness in our lives and creates beautiful pictures out of it, but on that day, on those rocks, He began to show me how He is painting this profoundly beautiful painting out of the great brokenness in this fallen world. Before I only understood the micro, now He has shown me the macro. He assured me that even though all evidence points to the contrary, His name will be exalted in this place and to all ends of the earth. His name will be glorified through the civil wars and this refugee crisis.
My personal sanctuary at the edge of the island.
There has been a Psalm (written below) that God has been using to minister to my heart all month long and in just these few lines of scripture He has revealed to me a great promise of His that will not be broken. In it the psalmist tells of how God will destroy every weapon the enemy puts against us. He tells of how God will demolish every defense held up by the enemy and how God’s name will be exalted in EVERY nation on earth. Wars will cease, conflicts will end, and the name of Jesus Christ will hold the final authority.
Every day this month I needed to declare this truth over and over again so that I may have abandoned every last bit of disbelief. I must be honest with you, it has been very difficult to trust in such a profound promise. After all, all evidence wanted to convince me otherwise. Everyday I stood face to face with the great despair and peril this world has to offer. Everyday I see the masses of children and innocent souls who have fallen victim to this brokenness. But I know who my God is and even in the midst of all this chaos, I have seen His face and the unconditional and undying love He has for His people, His children.
He has broken my heart so that I may see how broken His is.
A volunteer carrying a child to safety.
The unfortunate reality is that this crisis, this chaos, will take decades to be sorted out. It will take a great deal of time for the painter to finish his painting. The good news is, this painter is not bound by time. We may be limited in our sight but He is not. For Jesus himself has said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Brokenness hurts but I’m so grateful for it. I’m so grateful that God sent me here and wrecked my heart to show me how wrecked His heart is. I wish everyone could come to this island and see this brokenness first hand and be wrecked the same way I have been. Our hearts need to be broken to this reality otherwise we will never appreciate to the fullest extent the incredible work God is doing through all of this.
Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
-Psalm 46:8-10
Amen.
