A broken elbow – my husband has surgery tomorrow, Monday – for a broken elbow. He fell off our 12-year-old’s rip-stick. Broken since last Sunday, it’s been a bittersweet week – pain and sweetness – and everything inbetween.
The 21-year-old said, “What was he doing on a rip-stick? He’s over 50.”
Sitting across from him eating some Mexican, an hour away from home, after seeing the surgeon who will do the surgrey, I thought – I love that spirit in him, the joy of life, not letting anything define him but who he is – but God– even if it means being over 50 and on a rip-stick. I think Christopher Columbus must have had the boyish-spirit of adventure mixed with an engineer’s heart.
And the potter’s fingers, slightly wet with Holy spirit water, healed the frissures in his design, until only things of Him remained.
A broken collar-bone – my son broke his collar bone on his 15th birthday in June this year. Rough-housing with friends – who were tossing each other – he was winning until his friend tossed him and he landed on his collar bone, breaking it.
“Looks like you lost,” said his younger brother, asking. “Who’s the smartest now?
Our son chaffened under the restrictions, the pain until the brokenness was made hole.
And the potter’s fingers, slightly wet with Holy spirit water, healed the frissures in his design, until only things of Him remained.
Sometimes – it’s not the bones that break you. Sometimes there’s more than bones broken –
Teens broken, feeling like 1000s of particles of their whole scattered – and they don’t know quite how or why they are broken, broken and running
And the potter’s fingers, slightly wet with Holy spirit water, healed the frissures in his design, until only things of Him remained.
Mother’s and Father’s experiencing a great loss – maybe a long loss from leukemia or loss in a split second – their heart which birthed a life and grew love like ivy vines – suddenly those vines like arms have one less to reach for – and the roots and vines suffer shock, broken
And the potter’s fingers, slightly wet with Holy spirit water, healed the frissures in his design, until only things of Him remained.
Life in the daily, though – seemingly safe – sometimes I crash against the daily – chip and crack – the mother part, the wife part, the employee part – the original design He created out of me –
shattered
fragmented
shivered
broken
And in myself I cannot pull myself together – all the pieces strewn across the daily.
I cannot. . . .But He can
I go to the Potter’s Door, knock. Before I have finished rapping on the door – He flings it open, welcoming, comforting.
He doesn’t need remembering. He doesn’t need to look through dusty files. He knows me as intimately as He did the day He created me.
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139: 13-16)
Though He sees my brokenness, He doesn’t rail at what I’ve done or what’s happened. Instead, He sees the design He planned, He loved and He keeps up with in the daily. No sighing exasperation. No lectures. Just a Father loving His child like a potter and his clay.
He makes me whole, if I allow Him to center me on the Potter’s Wheel – and allow Him to shape me, to work the imperfections out of me
And He dips His holy hands into the holy spirit water – not much – because this Holy Spirit water whether a drop and an immersion – has the power to heal, to make whole.
He dips His holy Hands into the holy spirit water works this design of me until only things of Him remain
And I am re-made whole.
“Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.” (Isaiah 18: 2-4)
I have learned, through practicing Ann’s counting gifts – the importance of opening the blessings He gifts me with daily. They are part of the potter’s work shaping me whole, this learning to find the gifts in the midst of brokenness.
- Recognizing, not berating, an adventurous, courageous spirit who doesn’t let challenges, like rip-sticks and broken bones, set boundaries.
- The boys, not complaining, helping with the daily
- Finding quality time with my husband in the dr’s offices, imaging centers, hospital – and pre-op.
- Sick days for broken bones
- Time in the waiting and the driving to talk about the last 30 years –
- and feel like it was all just yesterday
- that love hasn’t diminished but grown richer
- imperfections in individuals and relationships don’t detract from our love, our commitment or our marriage
- laughter, like good manners, is like a healing balm to sore moments
- that inviting God into it all makes a world of difference
- faith that after surgery, there will be limited scar tissue so there will be 100% mobility
- butterflies really do flock to butterfly bushes and zinnias
- sometimes my boys choose awesome friends with awesome moms
- Despite a broken elbow – God has equipped us with more than enough to launch big changes in the next few weeks.
- The sun is shining in a blue-bird sky today in 75 degree weather – a moment of refreshing before a complicated Monday.
- Prayers – from friends for my husband’s surgery tomorrow
- Update on Surgery – it went great – and God showed me even broken elbows have silver linings🙂
Prayers for your husband. This was a great post and I appreciate the words here today. Thank you.
I’m stopping by for a Sunday blog visit via Jumping Tandem.
Prayers for your husband.
He gets that dare-devilness from me his Mom.When I was in my 50s I was showing my grandsons how to walk the monkey bars. Both hands slipped off at the same time and I fell on my backside. I suffered for months with a bulging disk and sciatic nerve and still have problems with my back and hips. I was asked, Aren’t you ever going to grow up. My answer was when I get old.” Well that time is here and I miss not being able to do the things I want to.
I think you still have that dare-devil spirit – and I am so glad Keith got that from you:) You never give up – and that is an inspiration to all of us. I am blessed to have you for my mother-in-law:)
I needed to read this, my friend. It is where I’m sitting today-feeling a bit broken by life’s struggles and losses. But God is so good to “dip His holy Hands into the holy spirit water” as He works this design on my life as well. He is the Great Redeemer and will take my brokenness and yours as well and make something beautiful of it all. Thanks for sharing!
Praying for healing for your husband! And isn’t it amazing how God used “broken” for you in this way. I love all your analogies of our brokenness and how God CAN do what we cannot.
Beautiful words of brokenness…Hope your hubby feels better soon. Visiting form The Wellspring. Blessings…
Yip, the Potter does work wonders once we willingly offer ourselves into His hands to be shaped into the likeness of our Lord Jesus. What seems to us like brokenness and suffering, He sees as fractals and just pieces of His great design! My oldest son has a broken right hand at the moment and I have a cracked rib. Big sigh!!
Blessings XX
Mia
I’m sorry for the broken elbow and I hope the surgery went well. Love your husband’s adventurous spirit–I think you have the same…maybe not physically, but I love your playful way with words. Good match, the two of you 🙂 And isn’t it something how God used Lisa-Jo’s prompt to speak to your situation? He is so cool.
Love this: “And the potter’s fingers, slightly wet with Holy spirit water, healed the frissures in his design, until only things of Him remained.” Is that original, or a quote?
Thank you, Lisa – it’s a bluecotton original:) Given to me by God:)
We do indeed, live in a broken world. Thankfully, the Potter is able to fix our brokenness. Thank you for this beautiful reminder.
I totally agree with Nancy’s comment above! We’ve had our share of brokenness…
When we sit back and take a breather…we realize that we can find beauty even amongst the brokenness. How cool is it that Lisa Jo’s word was “broken”. God has a way of showing us how much He cares…even in the small things. Thanks so much for sharing and thanks for linking up! Have a blessed rest of your weekend!
Hi BCM, your post so nicely dove-tails with my broken walls post. You’re living yours though. I pray for your husband for his quick healing and that he copes with having to rest up etc. God bless
Tracy
Your post brought me to tears when I read about going to the Potter’s door. I have spent much time there these past couple of weeks, more time on my knees than I ever have, since we learned my twenty-something nephew has terminal brain cancer. You are right. There is no hesitation, no stopping to ask what I need. There is a complete and total enfolding of me into Him, and He makes me whole every time I return.
I hadn’t realized that was what I was experiencing until I read your words. Thanks.
Smiling from ear to ear … a ripstick. So something my hubby would do with his boys.
Thanks bunches for splashing with us and linking up. Every Monday, I post on Momma Notes. And as always, it is a joy to have you join us. Just moms. Sharing our notes. Creating a melody.
http://justsarahdawn.blogspot.com/2013/05/momma-notes.html