Cracked.

Well, it finally happened. To be honest with you, I knew it was inevitable.

Earlier this week I found a few spare moments in my usually overbooked schedule to take a quick run on the trails in The Woodlands. I grabbed my running shoes, threw on the running headphones, turned on the running playlist on my iPhone and took off. About 20 minutes in, I heard that I received a text notification. Now. I knew I shouldn’t look. I am way too connected with technology and surely the message could wait, right? Alas, the temptation was too great and I pulled out my phone mid-run to take a peek and that’s when it happened. I dropped it and my phone hit the pavement. Hard. In fact, it bounced many times and I chased it a few feet until I saw it rest face down on the pavement. Weird the things you pray over. “Lord, please. Let not this screen be shattered to oblivion.” Sadly, as I picked up the phone my fear was confirmed…the screen was shattered to oblivion.

Honestly, I was a little heartbroken over that accident. I know. First world problems, right? It’s funny. Yet, the cracks in my phone led me to reflect on my own life. As I ran back to my house I began to think about my own cracks and imperfections that I feel I am covered with on a daily basis. Yet, even in the brokenness, God still manages to see beauty in me.

And guess what? Same holds true for you.

This past Sunday I spoke on the need to being rooted in Jesus Christ. There’s true power when we realize the freedom that’s found in this reality. In 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 the Apostle Paul shares that, in this hope, “we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…”

Beautiful.

Ever seen a stained glass window? They are proof that there’s beauty in cracked things. In fact, our brokenness can tell a pretty remarkable story of redemption and hope when we let Christ shine through it!

So may you dig deep roots into the lavish love of Jesus and may He shine brightly through your life as you live and love out of the life you have been given.