A heavy gloom weighted down my soul, and I felt like staying under the covers and curling into a ball. I had no desire to get up and face the day. But I grudgingly put one foot in front of another. I felt like a good-for-nothing. Again. I tried to cling to God’s promises, but He felt so distant. Again. Please help me, God!
I finally convinced myself to read some blog posts. As I try to communicate more with other bloggers, I am finding kindred spirits and I often find hope in their posts. I started out with a calling to encourage others, but God has often used others to encourage me. As I checked my email, there was a reply to one of my comments on a blog. One line really opened my eyes and heart that day:
“This cracked pot is happy to shine for the Lord
in her brokenness and woundedness!”
(Joy Lenton)
I so easily see myself as a cracked pot that’s good for nothing, but I need to remember that more light can shine through a cracked pot than a whole one. I don’t need to be completely healed inside first in order for the light of Jesus to shine.
Looking back at raising my children, I feel like I was too broken to be a good mother, but I forget that Jesus’ love could still shine through all the cracks and spill over onto my children. My children know I love them, and I am harder on myself than they are on me. I gaze at all my mistakes and failures and only glance at how much God’s love and grace helped me through so many difficulties. I need to not even give a second glance to my failures and gaze instead on the love of Jesus that cleanses us. To pour out all my imperfections at the foot of His perfect sacrifice.
I often struggle with what my purpose is here on earth. I confess that it’s hard for me to see God’s purpose in the limitations of chronic illness, but God can use that brokenness, too. I probably wouldn’t have this website if I didn’t have limited energy. And I can’t always see the purpose in my inner woundedness either, and I wonder how God can use me. So often when I write I am trying to convince myself. I love to encourage, but it’s not always easy to apply it to my own heart. I hope my writing doesn’t sound like I have it all together. I only hope Jesus’ love shines through all the brokenness.
I so easily forget that God loves cracked pots. And He uses them, too! Yes, He is the Healer and He can fix those cracks in the blink of an eye, but often He chooses healing to be a process. If we never felt wounded or broken, He could not use us as much for others who are broken.
“God has a plan for purpose and beauty in your life –
not despite your past, but because of it.”
~ Tracie Miles in Your Life Still Counts.
Do you feel too broken to be of any use to God? Do you wonder how His light could ever shine through you? Do you feel like your life has no real purpose? You’re not alone. Let’s remind each other that God loves cracked pots. The light of His love can shine through the cracks, however broken we may feel. He longs for us to bring all our brokenness to Him and ask Him to fill us with so much light that His rays will shine through the cracks and warm every heart around us.
“We now have this light shining in our hearts,
but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars
containing this great treasure.
This makes it clear that our great power
is from God, not from ourselves.”
~ 2 Corinthians 4:7
“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (Look Up)”
A Beautiful Song of Hope by Nichole Nordeman
Even when you feel broken,
Jesus’ love in your heart
can shine through the cracks!
Linking up with:
Holley – Coffee For Your Heart
Jennifer – Tell His Story
Kelly – Cheerleaders of Faith
Bonnie – Faith Barista’s Beloved Brews
Freed to Fly 
Hi Trudy, I so needed to hear this as I so closely identified. Thank you! These words resonate: “… I gaze at all my mistakes and failures and only glance at how much God’s love and grace helped me through so many difficulties. I need to not even give a second glance to my failures and gaze instead on the love of Jesus that cleanses us. To pour out all my imperfections at the foot of His perfect sacrifice….”
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Hi Sita! It’s so good to hear from you again. I had a hard time writing this post, but I felt God wanted me to. I’m so glad it made you feel less alone and resonated in your heart. You are a special person, Sita, so precious to Jesus! We can sometimes hang onto our mistakes and failures, but it’s such a wonder that Jesus forgives so thoroughly that He doesn’t even remember them anymore. We’ll have to help each other remember, right? May we together cling to Jesus’ perfect sacrifice for us! Hugs! 💗
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Hi Trudy! So this is why you used the broken pot image in a comment at my blog! You really got me thinking about the image of that cracked vessel. Thank you! And now I get to read your wonderful essay on light through a broken pot. I really liked this post Trudy. You speak so eloquently about all the ways you feel broken, and I can relate to them. Do any of us feel like we did great jobs parenting? Seems like I can only remember my failures some days. Yuck.
But the Lord was always there, just as you said. What a comfort! Of course your children know you love them like crazy! And I’m sure they weren’t all that perfect growing up either. We all struggle.
Thank you for this thoughtful, light-filled post,
Ceil
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Thank you, Ceil. You always encourage me with your kind words. I’m so glad you found reflection and comfort in it. Yes, my children know how much I love them and they are gracious with my mistakes. They don’t dwell on them like I do. I need to learn to be more forgiving of myself and remember what perfect forgiveness Christ gives us. And He can turn our mistakes to good, too. I’m just so forgetful sometimes! May we together shine for Jesus! I hope your leg is healing! 💗
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Trudy,
You shine beautifully and I do believe because I’ve seen God shine though you and others as you allow God’s light and love to shine through the cracks…I’m realizing more and more it my weaknesses that point others to God and not so much my strengths because when I am weak, I must rely on God’s strength (2 Cor. 12:9-10)
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Thank you for your kind and loving encouragement, Dolly. I love how you point out that it’s our weaknesses that point others to God. How true that when we are weak, we must rely on God’s strength! You have comforted my heart in all its weaknesses. May we together cling to the strength that is in Christ alone! 💗
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Trudy, you have written a wonderful word here to encourage us all! These ones spoke to me especially:” I don’t need to be completely healed inside first in order for the light of Jesus to shine” Amen! We are enabled to shine best in our brokenness because Jesus shines through us. At our frailest and weakest physically or mentally, we can still have strong spirits and hearts on fire for God. He dwells particularly close to the lowly, the wounded, the broken-hearted, the weak and weary.
And which of us doesn’t feel like this at one time or another? I love your heart, my friend, and the way God is using you Just As You Are to bring glory to Him. You’re an inspiration and huge blessing to so many. Hold on to that thought when days feel dark and dim and faith feels faltering. God loves you. He shines bright through you and others are helped and encouraged in the process. Blessings and love. xox 🙂
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As always, Joy, you have encouraged me, too. Thank you for your support and friendship. I will try to hang onto hope in the dark and dim days. He shines brightly through you, too! I’m glad we are on this journey together. May we both continue to encourage each other! Blessings and love to you, too! 💗
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yes but your posts have always spoke to me at times I thought God forgot. it was how I knew He cared. dont every stop. I was really really depressed didnt thought I mattered and your posts encouraged me. to keep going.
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I’m so grateful my posts speak to you, J&J. God never forgets you, and He cares so very much for you! Yes, you matter very much – to me, but especially to God. May Jesus hold you so close to His heart that you may hear the rhythm of His faithful love for you! 💗
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I can so relate to you here, Trudy! I love the cracked pot imagery. I am definitely a cracked pot! I felt so guilty about my imperfections as a mother for so long. I also felt far too broken at times to be handling that incredibly important job. My daughter has grown into a wonderful young woman and my son is sailing along pretty well too. I think we do a better job than we give ourselves credit for. They know we love them which is the most important thing. We are really all a little broken. Thank you for your beautiful, encouraging words! I completely agree about the hope we find at our blogging kindred spirit’s spaces. You are one of mine :)!
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Thank you for your kind encouragement, Candace. I find hope at your site, too. 🙂 We can be cracked pots together resting in the arms of Jesus and cheering each other on. May Jesus fill your heart with the light of hope each and every day! 💗
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Hi Trudy,
You have the gift of encouragement! I am cheered by your words whenever I see a comment from you in my in-box. I have days when I feel like all I do is toil away in a cubicle 🙂 but then I remember that I’m blessed to work with such good friends and embarking on a blogging journey has changed my life – in so many ways — mostly through meeting fellow friends like you! 🙂
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Thank you so much for your kind words, Valerie. It’s my desire to be an encourager, especially to hurting souls. Reading blogs and “meeting” the people behind them like you has changed my life, too. I’m so glad we’re on this journey together! God bless you and give you freedom also in your “cubicle”! 💗
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Wow! This is a great post, because don’t we all feel this way at some point? I love the visual of the cracked pot. Truth is, so many times we (especially women) try and look and act a certain way…what we think is expected, but what others really need to see from us, is that we are real. That we might have some cracks—but, those cracks just add character…..we aren’t broken…..we are loved.
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Thank you, Gibson Girl. What a beautiful way to put it – that others need to see us “real” and “those cracks just add character.” Yes, we are loved! I’m so grateful for God’s unconditional love! God’s blessings to you! 💗
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I needed to hear this today. Being a crack pot is o.k…. What is hard for me is that sometimes in my messy self I react in ways that i don’t want too. I grow from it and change. But the guilt sometimes tries to drive me to the grave. Just to know that we are not perfect and that our life matters even in our brokenness. is so encouraging. Your post has helped me today to not be so hard on myself. Gods grace is amazing and He just wants us to receive it. It’s so nice to know that I don’t have to earn it, I can just come as I am.
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I’m so glad it encouraged you, Lisa. It’s so easy to be hard on ourselves, isn’t it? Guilt can be such a heavy burden. Yes, Lisa, God’s grace is amazing, and you matter so much to Him! May we together be more gentle with ourselves and keep our eyes on Jesus and His unconditional love! 💗
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Trudy, I love how you have songs that are so encouraging on your blog. I found refuge in the Lord for a moment and I am so thankful that you offered me that chance. I cheer on the peace that is poured out on your site. love you. Cheering you on from Purposeful Faith & the #RaRalinkup.
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Oh Kelly, my eyes are teared up. I so appreciate your cheering on the peace I hope is poured out on my site through Christ Jesus. I’m so grateful you find encouragement and refuge in the Lord! May we together be cheerleaders for Him! 💗
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Trudy, I find myself feeling this so often. Thankful for God’s love and grace everyday. In awe that He is able to use me through my brokenness. Found you over at #CoffeeForYourHeart. Excited to read more.
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Hi Hope. I love your name! Yes, we could never go on without God’s love and grace every day, could we? He is such an amazing God with such beautiful, unconditional love. May His love fill your heart and shine on through your brokenness! 💗
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Beautiful heartfelt words Trudy! I am so glad God uses cracked pots, otherwise He wouldn’t have anyone to use 🙂
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Thank you, Sarah. I’m glad He can use us, too. 🙂 Have a blessed Sabbath soul rest tomorrow! 💗
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Amen! What a great testimony. Indeed, God light shines greatest in our weaknesses. For when we are weak, then we are made strong in Him.
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Thank you, Cherise, and welcome to this site. Yes! “When we are weak, then we are made strong in Him!” May God’s love shine so bright in our hearts that it will naturally shine out to others! Hugs!
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[…] I looked back over this past year, I found the most visited post for 2016 was God’s Love Can Shine Through Our Brokenness. We so easily see ourselves as cracked pots that are good for nothing, but we need to remember […]
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[…] God’s Love Can Shine Through Our Brokenness […]
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Wow. I was searching Google for a quote that I couldn’t quite remember all of and wound up reading this very page. It felt like I could have written this blog. Word for word. The tears gushed. Thank you for allowing yourself to be raw and open. I would have never imagined how hard being a Mother would be. Well, for me it seems it is but the reminder that I’m not alone is sometimes all I need to kick my big ole bootie back into reality! Besides, if we weren’t so worried about being bad Mothers then I’d say that makes us pretty darn good ones already! 😉
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I’m so glad this made you feel less alone, Beka. It’s amazing how God speaks to us at the right time, isn’t it? I actually needed to read this myself again. You have a point that worrying about being bad Mothers makes us pretty good ones. I guess it means we care, right? May God give us grace to allow His light to shine through all our brokenness!
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