Broken

Psalm 147:3(AMP) He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows].

Broken and spilled out.

Used up and wasted.
For me.
This has been one of the most beautiful songs to me, as sung by Steve Green:

Broken and Spilled Out

VERSE 1
One day a plain village woman
Driven by love for her Lord
Recklessly poured out a valuable essence
Disregarding the scorn
And once it was broken and spilled out
A fragrance filled all the room
Like a pris'ner released from his shackles
Like a spirit set free from the tomb

CHORUS 1
Broken and spilled out
Just for love of you Jesus
My most precious treasure
Lavished on Thee
Broken and spilled out
And poured at Your feet
In sweet abandon
Let me be spilled out
And used up for Thee

VERSE 2
Lord You were God's precious treasure
His loved and His own perfect Son
Sent here to show me
The love of the Father
Just for love it was done
And though You were perfect and holy
You gave up Yourself willingly
You spared no expense for my pardon
You were used up and wasted for me

CHORUS 2
Broken and spilled out
Just for love of me Jesus
God's most precious treasure
Lavished on me
You were broken and spilled out
And poured at my feet
In sweet abandon Lord
You were spilled out and used up for Me

"...And once it was broken and spilled out, a fragrance filled all the room, Like a prisoner released from his shackles, like a spirit set free from the tomb..."
Have you noticed that only the broken produce heart-stories? Stories that touch the hearts, that bring the "Someone knows, someone else has gone through this...", and more than that, this person is showing that there is hope.
That is why Christ came.
To be broken.
To qualify as that High Priest who understands from experience:

Hebrews 4:14-16

Amplified Bible (AMP)

14 Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him].

15 For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.

16 Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].

Broken. 
A painful word. 
A painful experience.
To submit to being broken should not be said lightly to God. For being broken by God is as painful as it sounds. 
It requires a slicing open of unhealed wounds, bondages and strongholds: facing the pain directly with God.
It requires a light being shone on that which we wanted to hide: humiliation.
It requires a cleaning: filtering out the toxic elements, like unforgiveness, bitterness, through His filter of grace.
It requires accepting a healing balm to be poured over that cleansed wound: the healing balm of grace. 
Like a glaze over a freshly baked cake, this will gleam with His glory.
Moreover, there is a distinct fragrance that is left when this touches other lives.
The fragrance of God-with-us.
Brokenness has been transformed.

Beauty.
Sheer ethereal beauty is how I describe God-transformed brokenness when I hear testimonies of God's grace, when I see people in their brokenness submitted to God.
(Click on name to read story.)
Like Bonnie's story. 
Like Trudy's story.
Like Lelia's story.
Like Kay Warren's story.
Like Renee's story.
The stories are endless and range over every human 'wound', all examples of brokenness transformed.

What does your brokenness look like?
Do you want to be set free?
Are you willing to accept the pain of brokenness to walk into that freedom?
Remember you don't have to do that alone.
God has provided a community of broken ones to walk beside you, in your church, in blog sisters, in friends, in professional help.
More than that, the Holy Spirit is here always as your Counselor, Comforter and Healer.

Broken for Beauty.

(Linking up with Faith Barista's writing prompt for today: "Broken":


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