Mended

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all the encouragement and comforting words that have been spoken about our "coming out" with Our Story of brokenness and redemption that we shared just weeks ago. We knew that the subject of infidelity was one that not many talked about, but so many have experienced in some form or another. I've been overwhelmed by the emails and text messages and voicemails left by friends and family members confessing that they too have walked a similar difficult road. The fact that they were so moved by God's miracle in our life makes the decision to come clean with the public so much more rewarding. We knew it could bring God glory, and that's what made us decide to finally share. We are so thankful for the ways in which your words have ministered to our hearts since Our Story published. We pray that we will continue to be a walking testimony to the love and grace that God can give to people who hold nothing back from Him.

We are still, to this day being mended by His Hands.

Have you ever taken a pottery class? It's something I've wanted to do ever since I saw the movie "Ghost" with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze. Okay, aside from the romantic and steamy moments that the pottery scene highlighted, there has always been something inside of me that desired to make a jar or vase with my own hands. Like an artist, slowly and meticulously forming a piece that is perfect in every way, to the potter alone. I'd love to do this while listening to "Jars of Clay" on repeat. Maybe that would make the moment even more magical. Or maybe that would just make me cheesy. . .Either way, I love looking at life through the eyes of an artist and his masterpiece. Jeremiah 18:2-6 paints such a glorious picture of this exact scenario:

"Arise, and do down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words." So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, working at his wheel.  And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.  Then the word of the Lord came to me: "O house of Isreal, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declaires the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Isreal." 

I'm reminded again, and I feel compelled to remind each one of you that we are all that vessel. God reworks us, even though we are spoiled, into a new vessel, one that He can use for His purposes. Sometimes we need some "reworking" and revamping and sifting. We've all had times in our lives when we have had to be reformed back into the image of Christ because we have spoiled His plans for us by our own selfish choices.

If you're anything like Bryan and I, you have also felt, at some time or another that your jar has not only "spoiled", but rather been completely and utterly shattered. We lay in ruins on the concrete with way too many pieces to ever be put back together again. A year ago, this is exactly how we felt. This may be how you feel. I pray that you can recognize that God can and will be able to use any and every jar that desires to be used. He can put back together the shattered pieces of a broken marriage, a fractured relationship with a family member, a crushed dream for the future. He can take all those shawrds and glue them back together and use a vessel with as many cracks as we have dealt Him. No situation, no bad decision, no poor judgement call, or no all-out rebellious lifestyle can keep Him from mending a jar we have determined to destroy. In fact, I truly believe, He likes us better with cracks.

You see, you fill a jar up that is laden with cracks and holes and God's love seems to seep out so much more efficiently. He designed us vessels this way. To pour out His glory on in everything we do. We may not be able to use the spout any longer, but He can use each and every crack to shine through, to leak out His message of grace and redemption. Broken jars like us still have a purpose. We may get mad at all the little imperfections, all the years wasted on things that didn't matter, all the gaping holes where we should be smooth.  I hope you can realize today what took me years to resolve. God accepts us just as we are. He loves the gaps that we're ashamed of, and He adores the cracks that we've allowed Him to mend. . .It's in those cracks that lies the potential for more of Himself to be revealed in us. We are whole and valuable vessels. Beautifully flawed and leaking His glory.