I have unwittingly become a connoisseur of the human experience.   Being a career missionary has given me an in-depth look into the trials and triumphs of those precious lives I have been honored to love and serve.   It is a labor of the heart when you work with people.  Joy and sorrow mingled with adventure and responsibility.  Life, with all the good and the bad, is a beautiful thing.

But sometimes life can be ugly, leaving us shattered and unable to cope. Divorce, death, depression and despair can rob us of a proper understanding of what God longs to do with the broken pieces of our lives.

Sunlight illuminating small shards of glass that create a vibrant story for all to see.  Stained glass. One ponders the design, time and talent it takes to create such art.  Incredible masterpieces that take our breath away as we stand in awe before them.   So very similar to own our lives.

We look with shame at the broken pieces of our lives because we are unable to comprehend that God is writing a story for the world to see.  Just as the Master-craftsman uses bits of heated lead to strengthen the bond between pieces of broken glass, so the Lord pours His love and forgiveness into our hearts in order to reflect His redemptive story once more upon the canvas of the world.

What God Sees

You see broken pieces, God sees beautiful possibilities.

Here are some incredible facts about stained glass that might interest you:

• Each tiny piece of broken glass is carefully fitted and is a part of the entire design.
• An exact fit is made by careful etching and nibbling away at the edges (grozing).
• A stained glass window is created not only to tell a story but to fit into a definite space.
• It is built to resist heavy winds and rain and is stronger than a singular piece of regular glass.

Centuries ago, to produce red glass, craftsmen had to use pure molten gold, making the entire stained glass window a priceless work of art.

Stained glass windows are illuminated from within and meant to share the beauty without. In essence,  beckoning the world into the church through its colorful bits of broken glass held together through the strength of the lead.

Every shattered place in your heart can become an exquisite piece of art in the Masters’s skillful care.  As you allow His love to shine through your brokenness, you share hope to a hurting world.  And finally, it is His precious blood that gives eternal value to your life.  Let Him turn your brokenness into beauty today.