Bruised but never broken.

My best friend sent me this beautiful mug. When it arrived, the handle was broken. Naturally I wasn't going to get rid of it, so instead I glued it back together. It was bruised but no longer broken.

It reminds me of Joseph in the bible. I know I've written about him before but it's because his story is just that good! In Genesis, it tells us about all the things he endured, some at the hands of his own family. Including being sold into slavery by his own brothers. He and I are the same in that way, being bruised at the hands of those who should've loved and protected. I was molested at a very young age by family members and exposed to pornography that led to years of addiction. I felt broken, believed I was too. That mindset kept me from a lot of things. I felt inadequate and less than in many areas of my life because of the bruises I had from my past.

One thing I always admired about Joseph was his ability to bounce back. He never let his circumstances keep him from being open to be used by God. No matter how many times someone forgot him (Genesis 40:23), abused him (Genesis 37:20), or falsely accused him (Genesis 39:14-18) he was still willing to do the work of the Lord. In prison, as a slave, and even in the highest position given to him by Pharoah he didn't allow what happened to him to keep him from doing thus saith the Lord. Though he was bruised, he was never broken.

That's something I think we can all strive to do. To not let the things that were meant to break us, keep us from being open to the work of the Lord. May our hearts and minds always be open to God. Even bruised, we can be used by Him.

I invite you today to give your broken pieces to the Lord. My friends he will use something way better than hot glue to put you back together again. His love is the ultimate fixer. Allow Him into your heart and let him turn your broken pieces to mere bruises to healed places. You don't have to be put together first. Come just as you are to the Lord and let him do the fixing.

Be blessed!