BREATHLESS BEFORE GOD

I was a young girl but not so young that I did not feel this yearning, this desire, this emptiness deep down. All the hurts, all the tears, all the turmoil. At the time, I knew there had to be more to life than "this." But, what was it? I had to find out and thus my search began.

I heard that off in the not so far distance a King was born. He was to be the Savior for all people bringing glad tidings and peace. Could this be true I questioned? Is this what I am missing, the so-called peace that this King is supposed to bring? I thought, "Well there is only one way to find out and that is to go and find this King and pay Him a visit." Early the next day I ran with a determination that I did not know I even had. I ran and ran asking for directions along the way - "Where is this King that was born? I must find Him. Do you know the way?" After receiving direction after direction and following them precisely, I came to a stable. I could not believe my eyes or my surroundings. Surely I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way. Out of breath but determined, to find this King, I made myself go into the stable and there before me were all sorts of animals, camels, sheep and even some cattle. Still out of breath, I made my way further into the stable. As I stood there breathless, before my eyes was a baby boy in a handmade manger of straw and some wood. There was a man and woman there who I knew had to be the parents of this baby boy. They looked surprised to see me as much as I was surprised to see them in these surroundings. He was a beautiful baby boy, but I knew this was not the birthplace of one who was called a King. I mean the smell, the stench, and the animals munching away on the hay. No way could this be the One who would be King. I apologized to the man and the woman telling them that I must have taken a wrong turn in my search for one who was born a King. I was too stunned to say anything more and left in search of a King who would bring me peace and quiet to my soul.

Many years had passed since that encounter with the baby in the manger and my search continued. I needed peace in my life more than ever. It seemed as though everything around me was spinning out of control. I had traveled some places I knew I never should have all in the search for peace. I felt worn out and used, tossed aside like a piece of garbage awaiting some dog to devour me. Down but not defeated my search continued.

One day I heard all this talk and commotion about this Man who was beaten and whipped beyond recognition. Beaten so brutally that one was able to see His bones and tissue as the blood poured out crimson red. The talk of the town varied. Some say He deserved what He got. Others, on the other hand, knew without a doubt that He was innocent. They said He was a King. Their King. I thought about that and wondered if this is the King, I was looking for all these years. And if it was, why were they crucifying Him. Was it too late for me? Was it too late for Him to give me the peace I was so desperate for? Then someone told me, that He was laid Him upon a cross to be crucified. They put a crown of thorns on His head, and a sign above His head that read "King of the Jews." I have to say that got my curiosity awakened and I took off running full speed ahead to the place where crucifixions took place. I ran with all my might straight to the foot of His cross. There I was breathless before Him, staring at Him wondering if He truly was the King, I was looking for. Like the baby in the manger, He didn't look like a King. I mean He was so beaten and His blood was dripping from all the cuts and bruises, that there was no telling who He was. Breathless I stood looking up at Him and sure enough above His head was the sign that read - "King of the Jews." Still breathless before Him, I was even more confused wondering how this could be. Is this really the One I've been searching for all my life? If it is, then I am too late. He is going to be dead in just a few hours. Once again, I missed my chance at peace. After catching my breath, I took one last look before I turned and mumbled some kind of prayer to a God that I'm not sure even existed, and if He did, I wasn't sure He would hear my prayer. Besides, what could He do now, this Man that was before me was just as good as dead.

I turned away from the One who hung there bleeding and dying and made my way back home. I couldn't imagine the neighborhood would be quiet that afternoon. There was too much talk of the One who I just turned my back on and walked away from. Sure enough the streets were filled with people talking and debating about that One. I needed to be alone so I could ponder life and its meaning. I needed to figure out how to find the peace that I was looking for. It was a long night and sleep didn't come easily as I tossed and turned seeing the face of the One who looked down at me from the cross with eyes that seemed to be pleading with mine. I didn't know what it meant but I knew that I would never forget those eyes.

A few days later, it was Sunday to be exact; I heard shouts coming from the street right outside my window. I sat up and shook the sleep from head, and listened. He's gone...the tomb is empty...the stone is rolled away...no one knows where His body is...come you must see for yourselves. What in the world? What are they talking about? I got dressed as fast as I could and ran outside to get the news. It seemed that the One before whom I stood breathless was not in the tomb that He was buried in after being taken down from the cross. How can that be? Is this true? There was only one way to find out and that was to go and see for myself. I ran through the crowds pushing and shoving, anxious about what happened to His body. I arrived at the tomb and it was obvious that others have seen for themselves that the tomb was empty. I ran to the entrance of the tomb and I as stood there breathless I looked and I could not believe what I saw. I saw nothing, the tomb was empty. There I stood breathless before the empty tomb too shocked to move. As others began arriving at the tomb, I shook my head in disbelief and told them that sure enough the tomb was empty. We all stood there breathless staring into the empty tomb wondering what it all meant. No one wanted to leave but yet we knew there was no reason to stay. I headed back home as did the others deep in thought not sure what to think.

It wasn't long before once again I heard more noise and commotion. Now what I thought, can't I just get a little peace and quiet? I just about had it with all this noise and commotion these last few hours. But of course, my curiosity sent me in search of what all the noise was about. It seemed that now people are claiming to have seen this One, who hung on the cross, was buried in the tomb and now whose body was no longer in the tomb. What did they mean He was appearing before them? This kind of talk went on for forty days. I have to say, I did not see the One they claimed to be walking among them. I think they were all letting their imaginations get the best of them. I mean after a missing body from tomb, I am not surprised. But as for me, my imagination is just fine and it is not playing tricks on me.

One day I was in a gathering and I heard someone tell a story about a man named Jesus. He said that He was God's Son and that He was the Messiah, the promised King. He told the story of how He was born in a manger among the animals because there was no room for Him at the inn. He said that He was beaten and crucified for all people so that they can have eternal life. He said that this One, this Jesus, was placed in a tomb only to be found empty three days later. He had risen from the dead. He told how this One appeared to many for forty days before His Resurrection back to Heaven. He told us that His name is Immanuel, God with us. He is the Prince of Peace. He is the King of Kings. He said that everyone who calls on this name would be saved. All of this took my breath away as I recalled the scene at the manger, those pleading eyes and dripping blood at the cross, the empty tomb. It all made sense now. I now knew that the One in the manger, the One on Cross, the One who was buried in that tomb was the One I had been looking for all my life. The realization took my breath away. Breathless, I fell on my knees weeping at the feet of the One who was able to give me the peace I so desired. It was at His throne of grace I confessed my sins and my need for Him and for His peace. It was at His throne of Grace I gave Him my life not only for a day but for all eternity.

As I left His throne of grace filled with His peace, forgiveness and love, I searched out those who could teach me His ways and learn His word. I now run to His throne daily and He still leaves me breathless. I am continuing my run with my eyes set upon the Wedding Feast that is still to come, which is off in the distance. But I know that when I get there, once again I will be BREATHLESS BEFORE GOD!

I do not know where you are in life but I want to ask you, does God take your breath away? When was the last time He took your breath away? If you can't remember because it's been so long, maybe you need to run to the manger and start there. Run full speed ahead and gaze on that baby boy Who came so that He could take your breath away. Maybe it's been a long time. If that is where you are then run to cross, and look up into the eyes that plead with you telling you that He loves you, that He wants to take your breath away once again, and leave you breathless as you live for Him. On the other hand maybe, you need to run to the empty tomb and stand there breathless allowing it to remind you how empty your life was before Him. Or, are you at time in your life where you need to run to the throne of grace. If that is what you need to do, then run with all you have in you and fall at your knees breathless before the One who beckons us to come boldly before His throne of grace. Wherever we are in life, I pray that we have not changed direction, that we have not turned our backs on our King, but that we are running full speed ahead with our eyes on the wedding feast that awaits us.

I'll see you there. I'll be the one who will be standing BREATHLESS BEFORE GOD.

LIVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE

Greetings everyone,

Obviously, it has been several months since I have posted a blog. As many of you know life has hit hard these past few months. While I was out biking today, I was thinking how the past year and a half has been a time of non-stop trials and tribulations. What I also realized today was that each one was an issue of the heart - some were physical like in my brother's case. He underwent mitral valve surgery last year only to have his heart stop beating on the way to recovery. Fortunately, they were able to get it pumping again after it stopped three times. The others were heart issues of the spiritual kind. You know the kind. The kind that causes us much hurt and pain. They leave us with a taste of bitterness that burrows down deep getting all nice and cozy, with the intention of never leaving. Yep, it's been a challenging time for me but I can assure you that many great lessons have been learned along the way stretching my faith and giving me the opportunity to see whether or not I would live what I say I believe.

While I was on vacation last November (which is when I first started this blog), Barry and I visited a church in Blue Ridge Ga. and behind the Praise Band hung a banner with the words "LIVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE!" I could not stop thinking about those words.

I realized that in order to live a life of faith you have to determine what you really believe in order to live it. It is then you can walk the walk and not just talk it. Living what you believe means to stand firm and true to God and all that you believe about Him and His character, regardless of what your circumstances are. Think of Job. Look at what he said when he lost his family and all his livestock. In Job 13:15 he says- "even though He slay me I will trust Him." We say we "trust" God but do we really? What happens when life tosses you a few fastballs and you swing until you are down and out - you are defeated? Do you still trust Him? We may say that we trust Him with our mouths but do we really? If we did we would not let those fastballs take us down and defeat us time after time.

Through this past year and a half, I had the opportunity to see where my faith and my so-called beliefs really were. When the fears came I had a decision to make, did I trust God with my future? Did I cry out to Him in prayer? Did I believe He would answer my prayer? When the hurts came, I had to trust God to be my comforter, to be the One who would hold me and wipe my tears away telling me it was all going to be okay. Did I believe that and would I live like I do? Do I believe in such a way that nothing will stop me from living my life displaying what I say I believe?

As we see the world spinning out of control, we need to live out what we say we believe more than ever. Why? The world is watching God's church, that's us. There is no better time than now to LIVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE! Lives are at stake and desperate for a light and a hope that will shine in a world that is full of darkness and evil. Are you willing to LIVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE even if it means standing alone for what you know is true and right, even if it means going through a time of hardship and testing for the sake of bringing hope to others?

The most important question and one that must be asked is "what do you believe...what do you REALLY believe?" I want to emphasize the word REALLY, not what do you say believe but deep down inside what do you believe? I want to encourage you to spend some time meditating on that question - "what do you REALLY believe? And how do you know for sure?" These two questions need to be answered if you want to live a life of victory in Jesus Christ and to be a light that offers hope to a dying world around you.

Let me share some other questions to ponder.

Who is God to you? Do you believe that the God of this universe, the Creator wants to have a personal relationship with you? How well do you know Him?  Do you have just a "saving knowledge" of Him knowing that you are redeemed and will go to heaven or do you know Him in a deep and intimate way? In Zephaniah 3:17 it states - "He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. Hmmm! Quiet me with His love - do you believe that? How have you experienced His quieting your spirit?

Do you believe in the power of prayer - why or why not? If so, is your life a life of prayer seeking God's wisdom, direction, guidance, His will for your life? On the other hand, is your prayer life more of handing God your laundry list each day?

Do you believe that you are more than a conqueror as the Bible states or are you continually living a life of defeat?

Do you live humbly before the foot of the cross remembering the One who died in your place?

These are just some questions for us to think about and I am sure we can each add a bunch more. I think it is important for us to examine ourselves in order to know where we stand in our beliefs.

Once we have done that let's LIVE WHAT BELIEVE in this world that is in desperate need of seeing the love and power of Jesus Christ in His church.

Lessons I learned from my friend Judas

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”  - Luke 6:21

HMMMM!  It is hard to imagine a smile coming to my face when I am going through something that hurts so much.  However, I have learned there does come a time when the hurt is gone and the smiles and laughter return.  But  I also learned some other lessons along the way that I would like to share with you.    I hope they will be a blessing to you and that they will be refreshing water to your dry and thirsty  soul.

1.  Jesus knows your pain – He’s been there done that before.  There is not a single pain or hurt you will ever experience that Jesus did not or will not feel.  He has gone through the very same trials as we have.  Imagine, one He called friend and one who was part of His inner circle betrayed Him, the Savior and the  One who was going to die for him.  Jesus knows your pain. 

2.  We too can be a “Judas.”  We have what it takes to be a Judas with nothing to stop us from hurting and betraying someone we say we love.  The only way we cannot become “Judas-like” is to be “Christ-like” and choose to do the right thing, which means putting others before self by thinking before you act.

3. When we are betrayed, it is our choice to – use this experience as an opportunity in which to learn and grow, or, allow it to be an obstacle which will hinder us in our relationships with others and with our Lord.  If we choose to use it as opportunity to grow and learn from it, we can be assured that this experience will not be wasted.  It will be used someday in the future perhaps to help someone else who has been hurt or betrayed, and needs to hear that someone does understand and that there is hope  of being made whole once again.

4.  Restoration of a broken and shattered relationship can happen.  Again, if we choose it as an opportunity, our Lord can take what is broken and make it something beautiful, many times being even more beautiful than it once was.  If you are willing, then God is able.  It is your choice.

5.  Love your Judas and be willing to forgive if your Judas comes to you with Godly sorrow and a repentant heart.  Love keeps no record of wrongs as 1 Corinthians 13 teaches.  Jesus gave us the perfect example of how to love our own personal Judas.  He loved him until the very end.  We also know from the Scriptures that we are told to love your enemies.  Something caught my eye this morning in Luke 6:27-28 which says –”But I say to you who hear; Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you and pray for those who spitefully use you.”   The part that caught my eye was the part of “those who spitefully use you.”  Many times our hurts and betrayals come from people who were using us all along and we never realized it.  When the disciples heard that one of them was going to betray Him, each asked if it was he.   They did not realize it was Judas.  He had them deceived and so  were we.   Most times our Judas is not obvious.  They are very good at deceiving.   I  believe what hurts the most, is that you think they really love you as they say, but  then you realize they were just using you.  Whether we like it or not, we are told that we need to pray for them.  So pray, we must.   Join with me and let us pray for our Judases and watch God go to work. 

6.  The last item I want to mention is to be prayerful about whether or not to end your relationship with your Judas.  Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and direct your decision.  There are some relationships that must come to end for many different reasons.  Yet, there are some that the Lord will want you to stay in so that He can go to work fixing what is broken and making it something beautiful, something which only He can do. 

These are just some of the lessons that I have learned.  Was it easy?  Absolutely not!  Would I choose to experience something like that again?  Absolutely not!  There are more lessons that I’ve learned  and I’m sure that many of you have also learned some lessons along the way.  Will you share yours  here on the blog  so that we can all learn together and grow from them?   If you decide to share, please don’t mention anyone by name.  We are here to help and to build up, not to hurt and beat up.
I will be honest with you; I would never want anyone to ever  experience an act of betrayal.  I hope you, like me, will be determined to never be a Judas.  We are called to be “Christ-like” in all we do not “Judas'-like” therefore, let’s take Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians 11:1 and do as he says - “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. 

I pray that these hard-learned lessons have been a help to you and will act as a reminder that we do have a choice when we are hurt or betrayed.   Hurt can cause us to do many things that we otherwise would not do, so be on guard against the Judas that lives inside each one of us, and who wants to come out and strike back.    Instead, go and find yourself a place to be alone with our Lord and spill your heart and anger out to Him.  Allow Him to comfort you and dry those tears.  His arms are open wide while He waits for His daughter who is hurting to come to her Papa for the love and comfort she so desperately needs.  Run to Papa my dear sister and do not look back but look straight into the face of your Heavenly Father.  Remember, He knows your pain and there is nothing  He desires more than to turn your ashes into something beautiful. 

Isaiah 61:2b – 3 says - “to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness...”  

As we mourn over the hurt and betrayal of a relationship, God promises us that He will give us beauty for ashes and a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.  I don’t know about you but I don’t want to hold on to a spirit of heaviness.  I will gladly trade in my ashes for something beautiful.  What about you? 

Betrayed but no longer broken,
Janice

Have you met my friend Judas?

Have you met my friend Judas? I am sure you have. Oh, he’s your friend too. I thought so. I had a sneaky suspicion of such. Therefore, now that it’s clear that we share the same friend I think for the purpose of this blog I’m going to use the word “her” or “she” since most of my readers are women.

Judas! She’s the one who says she’s your friend. She may not be your “best friend” but a friend nonetheless. She’s one that may be in your closest circle of friends; or one who is the closest to you at work; or maybe she co-labors with you at church doing kingdom work. Somewhere in your sphere of life, she is there and she is more than just an acquaintance, she’s someone you consider a friend. At least you thought she was. Until one day, you find out that she has betrayed you. Yep, you can’t believe it but she betrayed you and not only once but several times. Oh, she doesn’t know that you know about her betrayal but you do. You found out either by accident, by someone else sharing the good news of her betrayal with you, or as God would have it, through a spirit of discernment that puts two and two together and it equals betrayal.

Betrayal is a harsh sounding word isn’t it? Nevertheless, it is what it is. And it hurts. I mean after all, she’s supposed to be a friend so what would lead her to do this? Why couldn’t she just come to you and talk to you instead of going to others? Good questions. I can offer some suggestions such as, envy, jealousy, she wants to look good in the eyes of others, she needs the approval of people, insecurity, she wants to see you fail; she’s sick and tired of you getting all the praise. The list goes on and on doesn’t it? I bet you can add a few more reasons why someone has betrayed you.

A while back, our pastor finished a three-week series on “FRIENDS”. He mentioned several characteristics that should be evident in a friend. Betrayal wasn’t one of them. Hmmm! Yet, we see that quality more than we would like in people who call themselves friends.

As you can imagine, I have been a recipient of betrayal. Oh, yes, it hurt. In addition, it caused me some anger and bitterness. The saddest thing that came out of it was that I have lost the trust and respect for that person, which is something that will take a long to be restored. However, I know that our God is in the business of restoration and that all things are possible through Him. So I am trusting Him to do just that in His time and in His way.

I got to thinking though about Jesus and Judas. Judas was part of Jesus’ inner circle. He spent night and day with Him for three plus years. Yet time after time, He betrayed the One who was going to lay down His life for him. In His humanness, I am sure that just like us; Jesus was hurt by the betrayal. Yet, He never stopped loving Judas. He loved Him right up until the end. Knowing that Judas was going to betray Him, Jesus still washed his feet. What would you do if you knew that someone in your inner circle was going to betray you? Would you wash their feet? Would you continue to love them?

It was in the Garden, where Jesus spent His last free hours agonizing in spirit that his friend, Judas, one of his closest friends and part of His inner circle, would betray Him. We see it told in Matthew 26 verses 48 through 50. We see Judas telling the chief priests and elders of the people that the one he kisses, He is the one; seize Him. Immediately, he goes up to Jesus, says, “Greetings, Rabbi!”, and kissed Him. The literal translation is that he kissed him repeatedly. Why? For identification purposes. He wanted to be sure that they got their man. Imagine Jesus and what He must have felt to see His betrayer face to face once again, but this time he was with those who would see to it that Jesus was crucified in just a few hours. What does He do? What would you do? It’s bad enough to have someone betray you behind your back, but to experience it face to face would be more than I can bear. However, that was not the case for Jesus. He calls him friend. Even after being betrayed, He calls him friend. Jesus never stopped loving Him. He was ready to die for him.

After I thought about Jesus and Judas, I realized that my Lord knows exactly how I feel for He experienced the same thing. That brought such a comfort and peace to me that those feelings of anger and bitterness are gone. Praise be to God for what Satan meant for harm God means for good. He will bring good even out of a betrayal all for His glory.

The lesson for those who have been betrayed by someone who is supposed to be a friend, is to remember that Jesus knows your pain and allow Him to help you release those hurts to Him. Remember, if someone has betrayed you, they have betrayed our Lord. They will have to answer to Him. This is something we as Christians lose sight of way too often, that when we sin, we forget that in reality we are sinning against God. The Prodigal realized that he sinned not only against his father, but heaven as well. Our Heavenly Father knows how to handle our hurts so leave it in His hands and rest assured that HE will handle it in His own way and in His own time.

The Word is clear that another lesson for us is to continue to love our “enemies.” If they aren’t our friends as we thought and have betrayed us, then they are truly are enemies. Yet we are to love them. Remember, love is a verb; it’s an action, not that “oooey goooey” feeling. Don't wait until you "feel" like you can love them or that time may never come. Read 1 Cor. 13 for a better understanding of what love is according to God.

Jesus never gave up on His Judas and I won’t give up on mine, how about you?

The last thing I want to say is that whatever you do, do not be a Judas. Remember the times of being betrayed, how you felt, the hurt and the tears caused by someone you considered a friend. Take a stand against the beckoning call of Satan to turn against someone close to you. Stand strong in your spirit and seek God's wisdom of how to handle your situation so that your friendship remains intact. And remember, when we sin against or hurt each other, we are sinning against and hurting our Lord.

It is my prayer that as we read about Judas and Jesus' response to him, that we too will learn how to love those who betray us. Zechariah 4:6 tells us how to do that - "not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty." You cannot love someone on your own. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit. He is your helper.

Lean on Him to overcome those hurts and allow Him to wipe away your tears. It's for those tears He died.

In Christ’s love,

Janice

In God’s Hands

Before I begin this article I want to wish you all a year filled with God’s blessing and grace.  May He overwhelm you with His love and leave you breathless as you wonder and meditate on WHO HE IS AND ALL THAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU!  May He fill your hearts with peace and your life with joy as you begin your journey of 2010 with Him.

“You’re in Good Hands with Allstate.”  I imagine we’ve all heard that at one time or another.  I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t feel secure if my life was only in the goods hands of Allstate.  It is in knowing that I am in God’s  Hands that I am safe and secure.

Many of you know the passage from Isaiah 64:8 - “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father.  We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”    If we are not in God’s hands then it is someone else who is shaping and molding our lives; it is someone else who has the power and control over our lives.   It is someone else who does not have your best interest in mind.  So…who has control over you….who is making you and influencing your thoughts and the decisions that you make?   Is it God or is it ???

The Potter’s Field was a place where all the shattered vessels were thrown into a garbage dump outside the city.  This field represents the world….a place where broken lives are thrown away.  It’s typical of the world we live in…when we are no longer of no use to the world….it throws you away.  Ever been dumped because you are no longer of value or of use to someone?  Me too!

Oh, but God is the Master Potter.  He who has a purpose for all those broken and shattered vessels, walks over to the garbage dump to take a look.  And, what He sees is not the brokenness or the shattered pieces laying scattered all over the place, but the beauty of a life that can be restored and put back together as it lays itself down ever so trustingly in His hands.  He says to that broken piece you  may be broken and shattered but MY child I love you and I have a purpose for you….come and place yourself in the care of My Hands and allow Me to make you something beautiful. As you allow Him to lift  you out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire (Psalm 40:2)….safely you go, though broken and shattered into the Potter’s Hands.  God is the Master Potter and we are like a lump of clay in Hands. 

A potter will work and shape the clay molding it and changing it until He has just the perfect piece all the while never letting go of His clay.  Sometimes the molding process can be intense and even painful as we experience the refining fire of God’s loving hands…ouch it hurts but those hands never leave us in fire alone.   The potter’s hand never comes off the piece that He is working on.  He knows exactly how much heat and molding we need, how much pressure to apply.   No two lumps of clay are alike.  We are all uniquely made and God knows us intimately.  He knows our name, our color, how many hairs on our head, our shapes, our personalities and purpose.   It is by placing yourself willingly “In God’s Hands” that you will come forth as gold.  God’s great love for you will never prevent Him from turning up the heat if need be or giving you a little more pounding or kneading if that’s what it takes to restore you and bring new life into you.  He knows the depth of your broken and your shattered life and just how much molding you need to be restored.  He won’t stop until you, that hard piece of clay, breaks in His hand and allows Him to form you into the beautiful vessel He designed you to be before you were ever born. 

So, as we begin this New Year where do you find yourself?  Are you in God’s Hands?  If you’re not, then guess whose hands you’re in.   If you find yourself out of the safety of God’s tender grip, are you ready to run with all you got into the hands that are open and ready to hold you?   Are you ready to climb into the hands of your Maker?  Are you ready to let Him heal those hurts, to bring sweetness to a life that was was shattered, and beauty to a life that was broken?  If you are willing, God is able. 

Jeremiah 18:4 - “But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot; shaping it as seemed best to him.”

Do you trust God enough to allow Him to shape you as He sees best?