This song!!!! I heard it for the first time yesterday (Not My Will)…oh my goodness every word. “I am here to give you my heart, it’s Yours….”

Kintsugi - google it. It’s the Japanese art of taking broken pottery and filling the cracks with gold to repair it creating a unique masterpiece. A little over a year ago my dog ate my Bible. I left it outside after finishing my quiet time and would later recover the pieces all over the back yard. Brings a whole new meaning to Matt 7:6. The guy I was dating at the time mentioned the word Kintsugi and said it would be neat to use a similar concept to create something from the shredded pieces. My dog eaten Bible is still in pieces in a bag. The relationship also had a similar outcome (also Matt 7:6 haha), but the word Kintsugi stuck. It’s been over a year since I found my Bible in pieces and months since I’ve even thought about Kintsugi. Lately however, I’ve been seeing images of Kintsugi pottery everywhere. My Facebook feed, a recently released Bible study, even on the wall at a routine doctor's visit. “Lord what are you trying to show me?”

I’ve written in the past about the Potter and the clay Jeremiah 18:1-4. The vessel. The hands of the Father. The breaking. The reworking of something new. Today 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 was in my one year Bible read. We are the vessels that hold His beautiful light. His treasures are within us. His light shines through us in spite of so much adversity. His light within is the only way we can still state in faith “I believed” (4:13). “In His light we see light” (Psalm 36:9). Visible light is a beautiful thing. Rays of light through the clouds or through the trees. The way light reflects off of water and sparkles like diamonds. The first light of day. The last light illuminating the sky before the sun sets. Stars in the sky. Light through the rain that fractures into a bow of beautiful colors. There is beauty in the way light changes a landscape as the sun makes its way across the sky. The influence of light is undeniable. The influence of His light in us is also undeniable.

The photos shared are from my phone and a time of forced slow down. Our church placed a 21 day daily emphasis on prayer. A daily walk/run was also challenged for anyone who wanted to join in. I committed to the walking part (The rainbow photo was on the last walk of day 21. LOVE IT). Walking forced a slow down to breathe, pray, listen, and experience His beauty. Beauty that surrounded and encouraged while still navigating through some of life’s difficult outcomes. Sometimes our surrender leads to outcomes we could have never prepared for. I was reminded in Judges 20 men were led by the Lord to march twice into losing battles before victory on the 3rd attempt. Every time they still sought the Lord. The disciples were put into a boat by Jesus himself and then led straight into a storm (Mark 6:45). The Israelites were led to the dead end of the red sea (Exodus 14). Isaac was led to an altar (Genesis 22). Jesus was led to the cross (Luke 22:42). All were in the hands of the Father. 

In the hands of the Potter. It’s exactly where you want to be. If He’s led you into a season that wasn't exactly what you expected, hang in, He will be faithful (Psalm 23). It won’t always be rainbows and butterflies but His hands are steady, secure, and full of love. Choose to remain in His hands. Continue to surrender your heart. He will give you eyes to see His incredible beauty, love, and goodness. He’ll let you see His Spirit shine through in the hearts of others. He’ll let you catch glimpses of Him in creation's beauty. He will let you witness Him through a peace in your heart that is not of this world (John 14:26&27). In Him all things were made by Him and all things hold together (Col 1:15-17). He will give you treasures to ponder in your heart (Luke 2:19). “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day" (2 Cor 4:16-18). As a believer let Him fill you with His beauty. The beauty in your heart, His temple, will be greater than anything you could ever create on your own (Haggai 2:4-9). He will fill it with His "gold". There is comfort knowing He’s in the “shaking”.  “I'll say yes, Lord, yes” 

Go for a walk. Listen to this song. Continue to say yes! He will show you the way. 

*link to "Light Shines out of Darkness" 

*personal reminder...I published this on 08/30. 09/02 I attended a Bible study small group through my church. The focus is hospitality. We were all given handmade journals from a man (relative of our group leader) who lives in GA and flew them in. They were passed around and the cover of the one that was handed to me was a design inlaid with a gold color filling in the cracks. The only one. Each was different. So fun! I'll share a photo soon.