Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who
are crushed in spirit.
The delicious scent of crayons fills me with hope.
In my elementary years, I owned a large coffee can filled with broken crayons. The tin held every color you could imagine, some with the paper intact, some free of wrap. Instead of tossing the colorful sticks when they crumbled under pressure, mom gave me a can to store them. I loved digging through the pile of color to find just the right one for whatever I was drawing. And the smell—an aroma that signified the beginning of a beautiful creation.
I scribbled with them until they smashed down to a nub. Some
of the tiny pieces, melted with wax, were recycled into candles. That glorious can of broken
crayons gave me hours of joy.
I may not be a crayon, put to the test by little fingers
coloring vigorously and snapped in two, but I relate because I'm a broken person.
We all are in some way. It's difficult to live in this world with all the
violence, negativity, distress, and grief. At some point emotions, spirits, and
bodies break. I've never broken a bone, but my spirit and emotions have been crushed,
sometimes through my own actions and at times by others.
But the good news, yes, the great news is—God
loves the broken. He's close to the brokenhearted, He heals the one whose heart
hurts. He renews the crushed spirit and offers hope.
I love that about God. He doesn't discard the person whose life
looks like a pile of fragmented pieces. Instead He takes the cracked spirit, and
the emotional mess and creates a brand-new work of art.
God embraces broken people every day. The love He gives
wraps around anyone who seeks Him. He adores His creation and wants the best
for us.
God opens His arms to the broken. Run to Him.
