I started a new place to blog -- to write about my stories --about anything--about things between God and me.
I started this in response to Ann Voskamp's call to blog~to write and to keep writing to share stories with other people.
"Because in our stories, we meet the spirit of God" and God heals two broken hearts with one story --the reader's and the writer's.
The stories I have read from blogs of different women in different places--are mostly written by writers who are broken, one way or another.
I come fresh from a battlefield... under the blade. My second battle on the operating table. By God's grace I came out of it alive...and recovering well, physically.
But deep inside, there are parts of me that are broken and that are still broken.
I would make a writer.
A friend wrote in her blog about the Shepherd, how the shepherd sometimes breaks the leg of the one that breaks away so that it does not do it again. So that it does not break away again. And while the broken leg is healing, the shepherd carries the errant sheep on his shoulders.
I have more than a broken leg.
I also have a broken back...and a broken heart...and now even my spirit is broken.
A second operation. The first one was on the spine~on my back--that I had to be operated on face down.
And now, a hysterectomy. I was operated on face up.
And I am now broken front and back.
And broken inside and out too.
And the goodness of God is what is keeping me together. Like a broken cup whose pieces are glued together to make it whole again.
But God is not using superglue to piece me back together.
He is moulding me again, not with new material but with the same wretched material I am made of.
He is making me go through the fire that would mould me back to the renewed cup that he wants me to be.
I am broken.
And in my brokenness, my Shepherd carries me on His shoulders.
I am the one that my Shepherd left the ninety-nine for.
And in my brokenness, I found grace. I am carried on his shoulders just so I may join the flock again.
Psalm 51:
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise
So that out of my brokenness, God will bring out the best in me.
I am broken.
And in my brokenness, I found grace.
Hello and welcome!
ReplyDeleteAs much as I love your verses, I'm glad you decided to do another blog. I am quite taken by your prose. Beautifully written, dear friend.
Can't wait to see what lies ahead down the road.
~Grace & Peace
P.S. I know which blog post inspired this since I marked that with a star, too. She is so gifted isn't she?
HGP...thank you. Yes the inspiration came from one of AV's blogposts --but a part of that came from your latest post too about the shepherd. :)
ReplyDeleteI thank God for letting me write again in prose. I have blogged in the past but wrote about entirely different things that do not glorify God's name. Now, He has called me to write stories about my life, my struggles in faith, my small victories that will continue to add up as I write more and more.
Thank you for joining me here, I am sure our other dear friend will jump in too. :)
AV is so gifted! And her gifts she shares with us so that we may also realize God's gifts to each one of us.
Hugss, dear!
Gifted indeed. So proud of you.
ReplyDeleteAnd how come we're so in tune? That's my verse for the year -- Psalm 51:10-17.
I may not be physically broken, but I need to be repeatedly broken in my spirit. I have many lessons to learn and most of the time it seems I don't learn them at one go. So the next time around it gets more painful. But I get to see and appreciate even more clearly how gracious and merciful and kind our Lord is.
That's what breaks(humbles)me even more --
Psalm 51:17 (NIV)
My sacrifice, O God, is[b] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise."
Oh! You posted ahead of me...I have a lot of interruptions here, I got to post my comment 30 minutes after writing it.
DeleteMy salute to you OTV (or shall I call you In My Brokenness now?),G&P and AV for blessing us with your gifts.