In December, a treasured necklace from Japan falls on the floor. Breaks.
And I get on my knees. Gathering broken pieces. Fragments.
Trying to put the puzzle back together. But it sits.
Incomplete.
So I place what remains in a bowl. Not ready to give up on it yet. Perhaps a shard or two skittered under a cabinet.
Broken pieces
The reason I hesitate to throw out what remains? The meaning behind it.
A friend who lives in Japan gave it to me. And explained the story (see Note below).
Each necklace pendant is made from broken china. Pieces of cups, bowls, saucers. Crafted into something lovely.
Significantly, many of the artisans are women who suffered through the earthquake and subsequent devastating tsunami of 2011.
Picking up the broken pieces of their lives, they make artful jewelry from what appears to be useless. A woven cord holds the smoothed pendant.
Out of wreckage, beauty. And hope.
Re-broken
A month goes by. I forget about it, really.
Then this past week, another severe earthquake strikes. Leaving places in Japan destroyed, in shambles. Lives lost.
People suffering and searching. Alone.
And I remember the necklace. The broken piece, re-broken.
A quiet visual. Silently reminding me to pray.
Pray for the people of Japan.
Pray
Pray for those in brokenness and hopelessness.
To hear His hope unshakeable. And discover wholeness in believing the truth about our Savior.
Pray for His followers in that area, serving with compassion and speaking the gospel with tender boldness.
Pray.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13
Related posts
Broken bowl and the Potter – The mystery of the gospel – Night flight – Brokenness – Gospel clarity –
Romans 15:13 – Isaiah 61:1-4 –
Note
Nozomi Project has now closed. But you can read their story here. Nozomi means “hope” in Japanese.
8 replies on “Broken pieces”
I have been praying. Thank you for the beautiful reminder that all our broken pieces are in God’s hands.
Thank you, sister. Thankful for you!
Just what I needed. Thank you for your ever-wise reflections Susan.
Mukti, you have been through a lot this past year. I’m thankful this could encourage you. Grace and peace to you on the journey.
A beautiful story of God’s great love. Taking our brokenness and then, out of that making someone beautiful to serve Him.
Amen. I love the 3 Circles way of sharing the gospel for this very reason–the recognition of our brokenness and the joy of transformation in Christ. He is worthy of our praise.
How I ache for the people of Japan! It stuns me that in Japan, where Christianity is legal, the percentage of believers is lower than it is in many nations where faith in Jesus is a crime. May God change hearts and give wisdom to His people there.
Such a special time when you came and shared with us ladies in Japan. Thank you for praying for Japan!