Beautiful Wounds

Artwork: Beautiful Wounds Artist: Frisby

“‘You’re not eating anything,’ said Marilla sharply, eying her as if it were a serious shortcoming.
Anne sighed.
‘I can’t. I’m in the depths of despair. Can you eat when you are in the depths of despair?’
‘I’ve never been in the depths of despair, so I can’t say,’ responded Marilla.
‘Weren’t you? Well, did you ever try to imagine you were in the depths of despair?’
‘No, I didn’t.’
‘Then I don’t think you can understand what it’s like. It’s very uncomfortable feeling indeed.
When you try to eat, a lump comes right up in your throat and you can’t swallow anything, not even if it was a chocolate caramel.’”

L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Life on this side of Paradise gets pretty heavy...a little like dragging a dead deer through the sand on a day of scorching temperatures, while a wind blows with hurricane force from somewhere tropical. The day dawns with hope-filled rays of sun streaming through the clouds of yesterday, but meeting it is too much. The only thing a heart trudging through The Valley of The Shadow of Death can do is pull the covers back up, squinch the eyes shut tight, and will sleep to come back. That space of dream-like unconsciousness seems way more appealing than facing another blow from Reality.

Broken. Torn by pain. Shattered by words. Crushed by actions. Fragmented by missing the mark...again.

Whatever the cause, the result is the same. Like a shattered china bowl no longer able to perform the one vocation for which it was created, a crushed spirit lay  feigning lifelessness in hopes of gaining a few more moments of healing; another dream that might serve as a reminder of what strength feels like; gathered hope that can be stored up for the next toppling blow. Like a hedgehog rolled up in defense, the hurting soul retreats from all, raising a shield around himself for protection, pushing everything, or one, away.

In our throw-away-culture of consumerism where Old and Broken get chucked and replaced by New and Perfect, the art of Kintsugi (金継ぎ) has a wonderful message of resurrection for the hurting spirit. In Japanese, Kin means 'gold' and Tsugi means 'repair'. Traditionally, Kintsugi is a way of repairing broken ceramic or pottery vessels. The pieces are collected and glued back together using a mixture of lacquer and gold. Instead of hiding the cracks, the gold accentuates the imperfections. The blemishes are highlighted and used to form a new, uniquely beautiful creation. Through the process of mixing gold into the lacquer, the repaired piece is not only

given a second chance at life, but also is now stronger than ever before.

Kintsugi for the pottery of Japan. Christ the King for us, His jars of clay.¹

Christ, the King Who conquered Death, cares so much for you that He comes to your hovel in the Depths of Despair. Spreading His protection over you while you weep, He stands guard through the long watches of the night. He gathers up your broken pieces, mending the cracks with His own blood. His scars for yours. What was a blemish becomes a source of strength; a tattoo of beauty. He gathers you up out of the ash heap, breathes new life into you, and makes you shine with His light. Christ removes your tearstained pillowcase, and holds out His hand in invitation to come join the dance. Taking your brokenness with every hammer blow to the spikes driven through His hands and feet, He leaves you whole, strong, and a reflection of His eternal glory. Gently reaching into your fearful cave of despair, He invites you to believe:

You were designed for a specific purpose.²

You are valuable, precious and totally worth every drop of blood He shed.³

You are a marvelous treasure.⁴

You are loved.⁵

You are brave.⁶

You are protected.⁷

You are known inside and out.⁸

You are redeemed.⁹

You are heard.¹⁰

You have days of rejoicing ahead.¹¹

You, Dear Heart, are not alone.¹²

Don’t give up. He hasn’t. He’s not through with you yet. His work has only just begun.¹³ No lump in the throat is too big to keep His Goodness from going down.¹⁴

Amen...(and even though it is Lent)...Alleluia!¹⁵

My fellow sojourner upon this long and winding road, when my own heart is heavy with the sorrows, strivings, and strike-outs of life on this side of Christ’s return, I go to my Bible to be reminded, once again, of the Truths my Father in Heaven speaks of and to me. The verses I wove into this article are where I go when I feel like a piece of
spent gum scraped off the bottom of someone’s shoe. This is where I turn when I struggle to see the stars through the dark. These are the verses that I wrap up in when the chill of loneliness rattles my bones. When I find a new one, I underline it in gold so it can be found again later, like an old love letter carefully tucked away in a shoebox to be pulled out when emotions overwhelm with need of remembrance. You see, God’s Word isn’t just a collection of pretty poetry, adventure stories, and witty sayings. It is the enduring promises made alive by His comfort through the Holy Spirit, given to repair, strengthen, and beautify an anointed soul; a soul Heaven-sent and Paradise-bound. Yours is that soul. May Jesus’ love for you pour blessings over you as you study, contemplate and meditate on these specific verses that I share from the Kintsugi of my Bible.

1. 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

2. 1 Samuel 2:8b-9a ; Esther 4:14; Jeremiah 29:11-14

3. 2 Corinthians 5:17-18a; Romans 5:1-5

4. Isaiah 60; John 17

5. Psalm 27; Jeremiah 31:3

6. Psalm 118:6; Daniel 10:19

7. Joshua 1:9; Psalm 121; Isaiah 43:1-3; Nahum 1:7

8. Psalm 139; Jeremiah 1:5; Acts 15:18

9. Job 19:25-27; Habakkuk 3:17-19; Malachi 4

10. Psalm 30

11. Isaiah 60:19-20; Acts 14:22; Revelation 19:1-9

12. Deuteronomy 31:6; Revelation 21:3-5

13. Titus 3:4-7

14. Matthew 26:26-28

15. Psalm 34

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