“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:8-10
As I look back on my life, I realize that some of my most profound lessons were learned through my trials and times of brokenness. How about you? It's not something we often think about or talk about; after all, who wants to focus on the tough and messy parts of their journey? But as I've come to discover throughout my lifetime, it's during these difficult times that I've grown and learned the most. Our brokenness serves as fertile ground where maturity can take root and flourish.
The ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi is a method of repairing broken pottery by fusing the fractured pieces back together with gold. What once seemed ruined, damaged goods, becomes a masterpiece, its scars now shimmering in gold has purpose. The cracks tell a story of brokenness, but they also tell the story of redemption and restoration.
Finding Beauty in Pain
Our society often tells us to hide, fix, or numb our brokenness, whatever it may be. We’re bombarded with messages of perfection and success, constantly comparing ourselves to others who seem to have it all together. But deep down, we know that this isn’t reality. Life is messy and imperfect; pain and struggles are very real. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is to intentionally seek out the "beauty"— the blessings or gifts from God — that can be found even in the midst of hardship. When we do this our perspective shifts and our focus moves away from ourselves and toward a heart of gratitude. We also become more aware of God’s presence and that He is walking with us through it all.
The Creator of the universe carefully watches over us, never letting a single detail escape His notice.
Walking Through My Own Brokenness
At times, when life becomes overwhelming, it seems impossible to imagine it ever improving, and you wonder how the Lord could bring any beauty from such a season. For me, this was during my season of chronic anxiety and stress. I couldn't see a way out, but God did.
As I cried out to Him, He began a work in my heart. It wasn’t immediate. It wasn’t easy. He didn’t snap His fingers, erase the pain or make the trigger points disappear right away. Instead, He reminded me, day by day, that His grace is sufficient, even for me. During this season of my life, worship songs became my anchor, constantly reminding me of God’s goodness and providing the strength I needed to press on. I clung tightly to His promises and truths, trusting Him to guide me through.
He doesn’t always stop what is happening, but know this - He will never leave you alone in those moments of heartache or struggles. In fact, I believe that it’s through our brokenness that we are able to experience God’s love and grace in deeper ways. It's when we are at our lowest point that His strength shines brightest. And as we surrender control and invite Him into the midst of our struggles, He begins to put the pieces back together in a way that only He can. During this season, the Spirit was teaching me to rely entirely on Him. I was being called to surrender life's uncertainties into His hands and trust Him completely.
The key to walking through any heartache or brokenness is inviting the King of kings into the middle of it, allowing Him to minister to our hearts.
God's Work of Restoration
God's grace and love is the "gold" that intricately mends our hearts, not because of anything we’ve done, but because of who He is. The focal point of Kintsugi is the gold that fills the cracks, binding the pieces together in a way that both restores and highlights the flaws. Far from something to be concealed, the cracks become set apart by the shimmering gold.
This golden bond mirrors God’s grace in our lives. His restorative work isn’ about erasing our pain or hiding the brokenness we’ve endured. Rather, His grace redeems those broken places, filling the cracks with His love, grace, and purpose. The beauty isn’t in spite of our scars — it’s through them. Much like the golden seams in Kintsugi that tell a story of restoration, every scar and fracture of our hearts become a testament to God’s ongoing work in our lives.
As time went on, I began to see how God was mending the broken pieces of my life. It was through surrender, obedience, worship, and forgiveness — both giving and receiving. It was through community, as my husband and a few close friends surrounded me with love, support, and prayers. Through His Word, which served as a steady anchor, I was reminded of who I was in Christ. Slowly, the cracks that had seemed permanent became signs of His mercy and grace. My story didn’t lose its scars, but those scars began to shine with His glory — with healing, with meaning, and with testimony.
It was in that dark and painful season where the Spirit was teaching me that even when I can't see how it all would unfold, I could trust His plan...and in His love for me knowing that He was with and for me. My brokenness became the very thing that drew me closer to His heart. It taught me resilience and gave me a deeper empathy for others who walk through valleys of their own.
Reflecting on God’s Grace
When we look at the art of Kintsugi, there’s something amazing in way an artist carefully takes broken pieces of pottery and lovingly restores them. The Kintsugi artist doesn’t toss the broken pieces aside as unworthy. Instead, they tenderly take the broken pieces and mend each fracture with love and patience, prepared to spend countless hours on the process if needed.
And friend, isn’t that exactly what God does with us? He doesn’t look at the broken parts of our life and sigh in frustration, anger, or question our worth. No matter how fragmented we may feel, He lovingly gathers our broken pieces and makes us new. He sees every broken piece as valuable and begins the process of shaping, repairing, and redeeming every piece.
Once the Kintsugi artist finishes their work, the repaired piece isn’t just functional — it’s transformed. What had once been discarded as broken becomes a testament to the artist’s vision and creativity.
The golden repairs aren’t just fixes, they tell a story that beauty can emerge from brokenness.
When God restores us, we too become living testimonies of His amazing grace and redemptive power. Every scar we bear — the ones that life’s challenges and heartbreaks have left behind — becomes a visible reminder of His healing love. They tell the story of how God took a life that felt unworthy, useless, or beyond repair, and made it into something purposeful and radiant for His glory.
Brokenness Offers Us More Than We Imagine
In the midst of our brokenness, it can be hard to see that anything good can come from our pain. Healing is rarely a quick or an easy process. But God specializes in taking what is broken and making it whole again. And not just restored but transformed into something more precious and valuable than before. This process may not be easy or fast, but His promises never fail. He will carry us through to completion, filling in the cracks with His love and grace along the way.
Philippians 1:6 encourages us with this promise: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Our trials and struggles are the places where our pain meets grace, our pride softens, where His love transform us, and humility takes root. It’s where we meet God in the rawest, most vulnerable parts of ourselves. It is in those places God’s light shines through the brightest. Just as a diamond is formed under immense pressure, our character and faith is refined through our trials. The cracks in our hearts allow the light of grace to penetrate, illuminating pathways to hope, resilience, and renewal.
If we never break, how will we know the sweetness of being restored? If there’s no pain, how will we recognize the joy of His healing? Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” It reminds us that not only does God meet us in our brokenness—He’s drawn to it.
I have witnessed many times in my life and in others of how God can and will create something beautiful from our ashes, in His perfect timing. It's a truth that has carried me through my own heartache, grief, anxiety, and seasons where my life felt upside down. I find great comfort knowing that God doesn't see me as damaged goods, but as His dearly beloved -- His child.
In my own cracks, and even yours, every golden seam filled with His grace whispers,
I see you, child of Mine.
You are My daughter/son.
You are precious.
You are stronger than before.
You are redeemed.
Your story matters.
I love you.
This gives me hope and strength, in Christ, knowing that even in my brokenness, I am never beyond repair.
As I look back on my journey of healing and restoration, I am filled with gratitude for the ways the Holy Spirit led me, comforted, and kept my heart softened. I am grateful for His grace and love that held me together. I am thankful for the people who walked alongside me, the lessons I learned, and most importantly, God’s unwavering love and grace.
Through the years and trials, I have walked and continue to walk, I have discovered that restoration is more than just fixing what is broken — it’s all about inviting the Holy Spirit into my brokenness, so that He can create something even more beautiful from it. And when I do this He can turn my pain into purpose and have meaning.
A Message For You
Maybe you’re reading this today and feel like you’re beyond repair, maybe you’re holding the shattered pieces of something you treasure — a relationship, a dream, a season of life you thought would turn out differently, If that’s where you are, I want to encourage you with this:
You are not beyond repair. God is bigger than what surrounds you.
God sees your brokenness, and He’s not afraid of it. He knows exactly how to restore what seems lost. Invite the Holy Spirit into your brokenness and allow His love to transform you. Every broken piece of your life has a purpose. Just as a repaired pot becomes even more valuable in Kintsugi, God can use your story — your scars — to display His glory. He can take your brokenness and can turn it into something beautiful, not just for your healing and restoration, but for the blessing of others and ultimately for His glory.
Friend, remember this truth — your heartache, grief, pain, none of it is wasted. God is in the business of restoration and is still writing your story. Like the Kintsugi artist tending carefully to each crack, creating a beautiful piece of art, God is meticulously, lovingly, and intentionally creating something beautiful and one-of-a-kind out of you.
You are not alone on this journey. Each one of us has a story filled with broken pieces. But when we surrender those pieces to God, He can turn them into a beautiful masterpiece that reflects His love, grace, faithfulness, and glory.
Don't lose heart in the midst of brokenness; cling to the One who makes all things new.
Hold onto hope, friend, and trust in the One who restores all things.
His love for you is unending and He will see you through every broken season.
Trust that no matter how painful or challenging your life may be — it serves a purpose and as long as you are breathing, God is still writing your story.
Your story, just like mine, can be a testimony of God’s power, grace, and love. A witness to others that He does bring beauty out of the ashes.
Can you see the gold threads of grace weaving through your story?
Til next time!
In His love,
Jennifer
As I look back on my journey of healing and restoration, I am filled with gratitude for the ways the Holy Spirit led me, comforted, and kept my heart softened. I am grateful for His grace and love that held me together. I am thankful for the people who walked alongside me, the lessons I learned, and most importantly, God’s unwavering love and grace. Through the years and trials, I have walked, I have come to realize that restoration is more than just fixing what is broken — it’s all about inviting the Holy Spirit into my brokenness so that He can create something even more beautiful from it. And when we do this, allowing God to work in our lives, He can turn our pain into purpose.
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