Jesus takes our broken pieces and makes His light shine through…..

 He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.

Ps.147.3

 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John.8.12

I thought of this woman, broken…seeking the healing, the light of Jesus…what was her testimony after being healed?

We don’t know, but I bet she told many of her healing…a light to those who knew her..

 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 

She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 

For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 

And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 

And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 

And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 

And he looked around to see who had done it. 

But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 

And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Mark.5.25-34

"Tonight, I walked in from the store with my arms full and a brand new candle in my bag. As I struggled to get it all on the counter, one bag dropped and I heard the glass break. My brand new candle was ruined as the glass shattered. Frustrated, I was ready to throw the whole thing away. My husband refused to let me do so. “It will still light; it will still serve its’ purpose,” he stated. Immediately, I began to argue back.... “But it’s broken and ugly and glass is everywhere. It’s just not the same.”

I walked away and when I came back, he had placed the candle on the counter and lit the wick.

My heart immediately was drawn to the light. How often do we do this in our own lives or with others? Things don’t turn out the way we want them to. Plans fail. Dreams shatter. Goals hit the floor. People break our hearts. And we are ready to throw the whole dang thing in the trash. Even though it can still light.... still shine.... still bring the fragrance of goodness. It just may not be pretty or in the package that we wanted or imagined.

Tonight, may we all be reminded that even in the brokenness and cutting edge of life, there is still goodness and purpose and light. We simply must be willing to not throw it all away and allow the redemption to take place. There are times that our story will simply speak a little louder and impact even more people when we are willing to allow the broken places of our life and story to shine for others to see and understand."

Cre: Liz Liles Wagoner