Broken to Beautiful

Today I went to Lowe’s and purchased some pansies and hosta to plant in my garden.  As I browsed through the selection of plants, I looked carefully for the perfect hosta plant.  I wanted one with brilliantly colored green leaves and the symmetrical shape that I desired.  The problem was, every plant had some sort of imperfection.  Each one had a yellowed leaf, a broken stem, or some other flaw in its appearance.  I finally settled for one that was less than perfect, but good enough to plant in my garden.  As I neared the checkout lane, I thought of the way that Jesus Christ has done the same for us.  Even though we are broken, flawed, and less than perfect, He chooses to love us anyway.  We are “good enough” in His eyes.  And in the same way I prepared a placed in my garden for these imperfect plants, Jesus has prepared a place in Heaven for us.

Like the flawed plants, there is not one human being on this earth who is perfect.  God’s Word says that we are all sinners.  We have all fallen short of the glory of God.  In other words, we are not worthy to enter His presence.  But, I am so happy to be able to tell you that Jesus Christ gave His life for every man, woman, boy, and girl, so that our sins could be washed away.  If you have a personal relationship with Jesus, your sins are washed white as snow.  All of your imperfections are erased, gone forevermore.  You do not have to carry around your shortcomings with you any longer.  Jesus wants to take them all away for good.  Just like the plants that will eventually grow into mature, healthy, and blossoming plants, Jesus will help you grow into a pure, beautiful, and beloved individual.

You may be reading this blog thinking, I am too broken.  I am too scarred.  There are things you do not know about me.  Jesus would never love me.  Granted, I do not know what you are going through.  But, I am here to assure you without one ounce of doubt that Jesus loves you unconditionally.  No matter where you’ve been, where you are, or where you are going, Jesus loves you.  He looks down at you and He sees your flaws.  He sees your brokenness.  Instead of overlooking you because of your imperfections, He chooses to love you.  He focuses on your positive attributes, disregarding your faults.  Jesus knows you are good enough.  More than that, He knows you are worth dying for.  You are His child, and He loves you.  He wants to mend your broken heart, strengthen your broken spirit, and restore your broken soul, so that you can enjoy a life full of complete joy.

When full grown, a "broken" hosta becomes beautiful.

Think of the plants.  With God’s loving care, the broken leaves will grow back even more beautiful than before.  The yellowed leaves will soon turn green with adequate water and sun.  And the shape of each plant may not be perfectly symmetrical, but it will reshape itself into the shape that God intends for it to be.  One day, no one will be able to tell that this plant was broken.  Why?  Because I overlooked its flaws and gave it a chance.  Likewise, Jesus Christ can take your broken life and mold it into the life He intends you to live.  There is no life that is broken beyond repair.  Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.  He gave His life, so that every single person on this earth could receive everlasting life.  He overlooked our many flaws and gave us a chance.  There is nothing in your life that will stop Jesus Christ from loving you.  He will take your brokenness and make you beautiful.

In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer

Life's Disappointments

Have you ever been disappointed?  Did someone disappoint you?  Or are you simply disappointed with life itself?  Maybe you hoped you would receive a promotion at work, but a co-worker received it instead.  You may have experienced defeat in the loss of a competition.  Or perhaps a highly anticipated lunch date with a friend was cancelled at the last minute.  And it’s quite possible that you have experienced love and loss through the death of a relative or friend.  Inevitably, life does come with its share of disappointments. But, even when we are disappointed, there is a rock we can go to.  Jesus Christ is the one who will never disappoint.  He is the mainstay in a sea of disheartening days and upsetting nights.  He knows your disappointments before you even experience them, and He is waiting to hold you in His arms, bringing comfort in these dissatisfying moments.  Jesus will turn your disappointments into dreams.

In my own life, I have experienced many disappointments, some small and some very large.  Most recently, I was invited to attend Ann Downing’s Middle Tennessee Women’s Retreat this weekend.  Everything has been graciously covered by a dear friend, with the exception of the airfare from Florida to Tennessee.  I’ve prayed all along that God’s will would be done, yet no airline ticket has appeared on my doorstep.  Such a wonderful time of fellowship, a renewal of joy, an uplifting experience...  I cannot help but wonder why it would be God’s will for me to miss such an awesome opportunity.  The thing is, God sees the outcome, whether I go or stay.  He knows that a trip to Tennessee could result in my being involved in a car accident.  He knows that it may be best for me to attend the Retreat next year instead.  In reality, I could question God until I lost my voice, but His answer would be the same every time.  He would say, You are my child, and I will protect you from harm.  I have a plan for your life, and I truly know what is best for you.

Other times, I have endured much bigger disappointments.  As an only child, my Mom, Dad, and I were always very close.  We were like the Three Musketeers.  I always thought we would be together forever.  Even though I had lost two baby brothers, three grandparents, and other friends and family members, I hoped and prayed that the three of us would always be together.  And then, God revealed a different plan.  He took my Mom home to Heaven.  She was my Mom, my friend, my confidante…how could he take her away from me?  Talk about a major disappointment.  Even now, I don’t quite understand God’s purpose in this aspect of my life.  I never expected to have such a huge disappoint in my life.  Still, I know that He will work all things out for my good.  Even amid the disappointments, God brings comfort and peace to me troubled soul.  He tells me it will be alright.  And He helps me see the promising future that lies ahead.  I may not understand at this very moment, but God has my life under control.

While I know God has a plan for my life, I often question God’s will.  I know I shouldn’t question God.  But, in my humanness, I sometimes wonder, why.  But, you know, life isn’t like a mail-order catalog or online shopping cart.  You cannot just “order up” the things you want in life.  I may want a million dollars, but I cannot order it up.  I cannot order up material things any more than I can magically have my Mom back with me.  For a reason unknown to me at this moment, God wanted her to leave this temporary home.  I may never know why, but I do know that God is a sovereign God.  He knows what is best for me at every moment of the day, every day of the week.  God has everything planned out, from the exact time that we take our first step to the moment we fall in love and the day we start our first job to the week that we leave this earthly home.

So, the next time you experience disappointments in life, look to Jesus.  He has a dream for you life.  He wants you to experience joy and peace and a passion for life.  He wants you to be resilient, pushing through life’s disappointments and living out His dream.  God will always keep you in His care, comforting you when you need it most.  I know for a fact that He has shown me His unconditional love, as I try to overcome the disappointment of losing my Mom.  And He gives me joy and peace, regardless of how significant or seemingly insignificant the disappointment may be.  He cares about every single aspect of our lives.  He will give you hope when everything seems hopeless.  No matter what things happen to disappoint you, God is in control.  No matter what, GOD is in control.

In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer