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“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord  plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”   Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

“Broken, useless, an eyesore taking up space.”

Some of the thoughts that went through my mind regarding the pieces of wood that sat in my yard.  My husband – the “inventor”- that he is, had saved them from being thrown in the dumpster. I thought maybe he brought them home to put in our burn pile for nights around the firepit.  However, he shared with me that he had an idea of something he was going to create.

Fast forward over a year later and in my yard there’s a beautiful area to sit and spend time with family and friends.  It has become one of my favorite spots in our yard. I’m looking forward to cooler temperatures to spend even more time in this place made completely from broken pieces of wood.

My husband took time to design his creation on the computer. Then he staked it out in the yard with his laser. He spent numerous hours measuring wood, and re-measuring comparing his plans to the layout in the yard.  Once he established a strong foundation for the posts he started cutting/then hammering.  Continually stabilizing his work along the way.  Eventually a couple coats of paint were added for the finishing touch and voila! A pergola was created.

In the hands of a skillful carpenter scattered pieces of wood can be made into something beautiful. A creator can envision beautiful things out of broken pieces.

God, the author of all creation, does that with us.  He has a vision of our lives, long before our earthly birth.

Sometimes He takes us through broken seasons.  Conditions that leave us wondering what good could ever come from the destruction that ravaged us.  Devastation that leaves us so wounded we are certain that we will never be put back together.  But God can take those broken seasons and fashion us into a beautiful new creation.  Filling us with a wholeness that makes us better than we were before.  As part of His plan our brokenness serves a purpose.

We’ve had people ask us where we purchased the pergola.  The pieces look as if they were always meant to go together – like it came as a kit.  But it didn’t.  Our pergola is a bunch of broken pieces.  Our pergola is also beautiful.  One statement doesn’t negate the other.  In fact, I think knowing what it came from makes me appreciate its’ beauty even more.

Precious friend rest assured you can be both broken and beautiful through the blood of Jesus.

“Break us, dear Father so that you can mold us into your image and likeness. We trust you today to complete the plans you have designed for us.  Plans that will be for our eternal good and your eternal glory.”

For His Glory,

Laura Holmes  (www.ephraimministries.org)
TRBC Women’s Life