Do you know the feeling that I am talking about? Those brief momentary lapses when your hope feels depleted and your faith is running low.
I know I am not the only person who feels that way sometimes.
Every once in a while, life just gets to be too much! The pace at which we live life these days is enough to overwhelm anyone. Add to that times of elevated worry, or health issues, or work problems, or lack of sleep, or feeling down about the elevated violence that seems so prevalent around us; and anyone could find themselves feeling broken.
Today I was feeling depleted. Every required motion and thought throughout the day took extra effort. I was tired. Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, Tired.
And then, after I had wrote the opening sentence of this post on my lunch break, and began planning this topic, the sign pictured below came tumbling down from above my desk, and broke.
My "Blessed" broke.
I looked sadly down at the broken word that means so much to me, and I found myself creating new words from the pieces. Stressed. Obsessed. Pressed. Messed.
As in "pressed" for time, "obsessed" with hurtful current events, "stressed" and too busy, and my whole sense of joy being "messed"-up!
I sat their in silence for a moment.
I thought about the way I had been feeling all day. I pondered whether I could still feel blessed even when I'm broken (or when my sign is broken)...
I gu'essed' that I could find a way.
I acc'essed' my Bible and decompr'essed'.
Psalm 34:18
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit. (NASB)
Alright, enough with the play on words (well, maybe only for a bit).
But really, with faith the answer is "Yes", yes, you can be both broken and blessed!
Remember, In this World we will have troubles, but He has overcome the World!
God has never promised us a smooth ride through our life here on Earth. The mess forces us to grow. The stress teaches us perseverance. Feeling pressed and/or obsessed puts us in a position to put our trust in God, for only He can relieve our worries and take our burdens.
So I was given a beautiful reminder today while pondering over that broken sign, that even though I may feel a little broken right now I am still blessed!
Look at that picture again. As I see it, if we are standing in the broken part of it, and we look to either side, we can see our blessings right there! Just because there is a gap, does not mean it doesn't still spell BLESSED!
So tonight, rest from your worry and focus on the things that make you blessed. Whether it be family or friends, or general good fortune; love, or community, or warmth, etc...
Remind yourself that your many blessings are always on all sides of your brokenness, you just have to change your focus, and you will see them right there all along!
BLESSED!
