“Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.’” (Psalm 51:17, The Message)

 So I’m scurrying around before worship a few weeks ago, looking to see if there’s anything I need to set up or set out and as I’m moving a box, the plate on top of it falls off and breaks. The plate (see above) isn’t too terribly attractive, but it’s what we’ve placed our communion bread on since we started worshiping 4 ½ years ago so there’s some sentimental value. I was feeling a bit harried this particular morning (I’ll neither confirm nor deny that I uttered an epithet when it broke) so I wasn’t thrilled when I heard the crash. As I stood there, glaring at the mess, I noticed what was literally right next to it. The broom and dustpan you also see above. And I laughed.

Broken. Shattered. Undone. We’ve all felt these emotions. We’ve cried out. We’ve sworn, and we’ve wondered if things will ever come together. We want God to quickly get some holy Super Glue to put us back together right this second. Occasionally, that happens, but many times, the feeling of being in pieces lingers. What I love about this photo, though, is the symbolism of God’s sweeping love being present immediately after the brokenness (and not that our brokenness is thrown into the garbage!).

Eventually, we come back together, but while we’re in our shattered state, I draw comfort from the above verse: That our heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice. Not for a moment.