Sitting surrounded by quiet and the lone candle of my screen, color seeps into grays around my hairline while I watch a Cardinal couple flit circuitously from branch to hanging basket to statue to a ground of covered leaves. I’m passing the time, I think.
I don’t currently own any pets but these birds have chosen me for years. The mottled red and gold throat of the male sets him apart from the sleek, clean carpeted crimson throats of the masses. He looks as though he’s mistakenly taken a bath in ash, wearing the story of redemption on his wings.
It’s the obvious difference in those blotchy feathers that allows the ease of forgiveness as he swings on the feeder. For his wife holds the lone red bud in her beak, amid ruffles of white on the begonia swinging outside my window.
There is something beautiful and endearing about revealed brokenness, like God granting permission to breathe.
They say Moses wasn’t an ordinary child when he was born, but they weren’t talking about how he looked. They were describing his destiny. (Acts 7:20)
Somewhere in between our first and last breath, we lose the ability to become extraordinary, mistaking blending in and ordinariness as the pathway for success.
It’s when we discover the beauty of our brokenness that we can imagine the person we are yet to become. God uses our life for purpose, not because of who we are but because of who we are not.
And perhaps it’s the presence of Jesus represented in the Cardinal that holds my attention, His body once stripped and mottled with blood; the ash of my sin smudging his chest. Yes, there is something beautiful about revealing the imperfection of our brokenness because of the story it represents.
We are free to be extraordinary in the masses because there has never been, nor will there ever be, an ordinary human born among us.
This post is inspired by Erwin McManus who said, “Our imagination is the playground of God,” in Sunday’s sermon.
Beautiful,Shelly. I have long loved Cardinals and have written about them. I love how you always see Jesus. And maybe that is the whole point of our brokenness-so we are but fractured vessels through whom JESUS can shine. To think that our brokenness permits us to be glory-bearers is beyond imagination, and surely beyond our deserving it. That truly is extraordinary ordinariness.
Love
Lynn
I’m starting to realize so many things about faith and Jesus in my life, its just a good place to sit Lynn.
Amen! And I loved your comment about your grandpa! I think he and Mike would have been great friends!
I loved how you watched the birds and wove your post from there. Thanks so much. I am visiting from Michele DeRusha’s linkup today.
They seem to teach me a lot so I’m paying attention Judith. Glad you stopped by from Michelle’s today.
PS Shelly, MIke loves the St. Louis Cardinals! =]
I have lots of memories of my Grandfather listening to the Cardinals play on his transistor radio pulled up to his ear. Good ones.
Der Shelly
This is so true! Can you just imagine that if our Pappa God cares about each strand of hair on our heads, how deeply He cares about the unique person He has created in each one of us! We are blessed with a garden full of trees and t
we also have a BIG birdie family.
Much love XX
Mia
Those birds teach me so much about how expansive His love is over each one of us Mia. I’m grateful for the simple lessons of life.
This was remarkable. YES!
Thanks Amy.
I sit in awe. Once more, I see this Holy Spirit whisper a story through my life, of beauty in brokenness, encouraging me out of the dark. And yet in pride and fear, I don’t know how or where or when to let myself be seen. I too, am reading Daring Greatly, and I am learning to recognize how susceptible to shame I am. I hope therein lies the key to freedom too - in vulnerability - but most days the fear wins. But it’s words like these, with tears welling, that encourage me to step out of my shadow once more and try againto do this thing He calls me to, to be the extraordinarily broken. Thank you for obediently spilling these words to screen. If for no one else, they were for me.
I’m so touched by your words here Jessica, truly. May you continue to rise up with courage to embrace the person he called you to be, to love yourself well and trust. Praying for you today friend.
“We are free to be extraordinary in the masses because there has never been, nor will there ever be, an ordinary human born among us.” So often we choose ordinary, to be shaped by the world rather than by our destiny…we choose the lesser thing. “Lord let me see the vision of my destiny, embrace my place in this time and fulfill my destiny.” I had a horrible and wonderful day yesterday. Together they leave me twice broken…a good place to be?
Oh no, do we need a phone call? I’ve been thinking about you.
Brokenness has been one of the greatest gifts of my life but I always hate it at first. I would love to chat, maybe at the end of the week? Thursday or Friday?
Yes. When we celebrate our differences instead of getting caught up in comparison…isn’t it beauty? I always love my visits here, Shelly, it’s such a deep breath of loveliness. Thank you.
I feel the same way when I read your words. Thank you Laura.
I love the line, “God uses our life for purpose, not because of who we are but because of who we are not.” I needed to read that, Shelly! Thanks also for reminding us of Christ’s continual redemption of the messy lives we live. Great thoughts, my friend!
I just to live extraordinarily faithful to Him Beth, just that.
This line especially resonates with me:
“God uses our life for purpose, not because of who we are but because of who we are not.”
It’s in the “who we are not” that we find peace, although according to worldly thinking, it should never be so.
I’m tired of jumping through the hoops I’ve created or what I perceive as success. He often chooses the most humble and lowly to speak the loudest through just living life and I want to be like that.
Beautiful!
This is so beautiful! I am grateful to have read it today!
Yes…so beautiful and true…God’s glory shining through our brokenness 🙂
Shelly, I forget this . . .I reach to remember and stop forgetting. . .and all He calls me to again and again, is surrender. Yes, our fragility and redemption points to Him. All to Him, and for that, I am invited to rejoice. Thank you.
Thank you for these words: “It’s when we discover the beauty of our brokenness that we can imagine the person we are yet to become. God uses our life for purpose, not because of who we are but because of who we are not.” I was encouraged by being reminded that we are of worth because of Him and His great purposes, and it is okay to be broken and weak. Something we need to always be reminded of - thank you! (Visiting from the Hear It on Sunday, Use It on Monday linkup.