Friday, March 6, 2015

DEVOTION: Finishing Touches ~ Shirley Corder


When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. Psalm 8:3-5 NIV


A few weeks ago, we looked at the magnitude of God as creator. Last week, we saw Him as the Master Potter. Today I'd like us to see Him as a God who delights in adding finishing touches to His work.

Have you had the experience of writing something with a sense of excitement, only to find when it’s finished it’s just not right? You’ve somehow missed the mark, and it no longer fits the market you originally had in mind. If you’re like me, you put it to one side and work on something else for a while. Then some days or weeks later, you may open it up on the screen and read it afresh. Chances are you will realise it is nothing like as bad as you originally thought. It just needs a tweak here and a cut there, and suddenly your article comes to life.

The Japanese have an old tradition called Kintsugi, where they repair broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver or platinum. They believe that the breakage and subsequent repair job is a part of the article's history, and it should not be disguised.

Sometimes, as the creator of an article or story, we need to add that special something which will complete a character or help the reader connect with the true story. Instead of deleting it, we can take the part that hasn't worked, and perhaps highlight it in some way. Maybe the flaw in your hero's character can become a twist in your story. Or perhaps the part of your article that doesn't work needs to be taken out and given its own space as another piece altogether.

Whenever we are busying fixing our broken work, it is good to remember that we are God’s creation. If we have reached adulthood, there are no doubt many cracks and chips in our lives. Maybe we have had our hearts broken on more than one occasion. But each one of us has had many special repair jobs done by God, and those only increase our value. After all, that is what makes us absolutely unique—and beautiful in His sight.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 NIV

OVER TO YOU: What crack or break in your life can you think of where the Lord has added some gold?


SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband, Rob. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer contains 90 meditations based on her time in the cancer valley.

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Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com, where she encourages writers, or at  RiseAndSoar.com, where she encourages those in the cancer valley. You can also meet with her on Twitter or FaceBook 


12 comments:

  1. I love this analogy! I've probably told you about the time I was at a prayer breakfast. As we were praying, I saw this beautiful turquoise vase. As I watched, it exploded into a zillion pieces. Then the finger of God brought them all back into alignment and traced the cracks with gold The mended piece was more beautiful and interesting than the original, unspoiled piece.

    I think it's like that with people as well. Our broken places are what make us interesting and able to help others in their broken places. It's just like God to make the breakage part of a more beautiful design.

    Thank you for this beautiful post, Shirl.

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    1. Thanks Judith. No, you haven't told me about your experience at the prayer breakfast. How wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Great post; great metaphor for life. I look back on my life and see how true this is. Thanks.

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    1. Thank you Debra. Yes, I often remember how Psalm 23 speaks of God's mercy and goodness FOLLOWING us. We only see it when we look back!

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  3. Gosh, that was good. I am grateful for God's workmanship...

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    1. Thanks Jenn. Me too. What a mess I would be without it!

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  4. Thank you, Shirley! I majored in Japanese at uni many, many years ago so won't forget your analogy of 'kintsugi'!

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    1. Thanks for sharing this Jo-Anne. I stumbled across this a while ago when I was preparing to write a series of devotions for a crafters retreat. It was a new concept to me. We usually like to cover up all our mistakes!

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  5. Great analogy! Speaks to my heart. I am currently undergoing "Kintsugi" and your article is very comforting and inspiring. Thank you!

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  6. Thanks for letting me know, Sue. I'll be praying for your Kintsugi time!

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  7. Just shared this memory on Facebook. Just as fresh now as it was when first written. We all need the reminder.

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    1. Wow, how cool. Two years later! Thank you Judith. This was well-timed. I was battling the blues with a "Why write if no-one reads?" attitude. :-)

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