Stained Glass People

The church building here in Spearman was wiped out by a tornado a few years ago. The entire community rallied around the congregation and assisted in the rebuild. It was a great example of folks coming together in a crisis and helping put the pieces back together. Our new auditorium has an absolutely beautiful stained glass window behind the pulpit. It is made up of brilliant little pieces of glass, blues, pinks, reds, oranges and blues. In the afternoon, the sun shines through those mini panes and casts the most beautiful light over the carpet and pews, dull by comparison. This kaleidoscope of color is brilliant and beautiful and very peaceful. I am awed by this window, amazed that someone could take little, odd shaped, shards of broken glass, none of them matching, all of them broken, and could make this beautiful, glorious window.
I think that is exactly what God does with us. Everyone of us is broken in some way or another. Everyone of us is odd and none of us are identical. Alone, we are simply odd, broken little people. But the blood of Christ is able to take each of us, broken as we are and put us together with love and His redemptive blood until we become a beautiful, glorious reflection of His Son.
I think about Sarah, believing her body broken, unable to bear children. She took matters into her own hands and created a huge problem, yet a promise keeping God, still used her in her brokenness to bear the son, the son of promise. I think of the shepherd king, David, who with broken heart over his own sin and its consequences, was used by God to rule a great nation and to be great great grandfather of our Messiah. I thought of Mary, the mother, the virgin, who with broken reputation gave birth to the redemption of the world. Used by God, a reflection of His Son. I thought of Paul, on fire for God but misguided in his zeal. When his faith, his course, his belief system was broken, God was able to rebuild it and use it to show His love to the entire world. God has always used broken people. He has a special place in His heart for us. And like, Sarah, if we insist He will let us put things together. But, like the stained glass window, it takes a real artisan to taken broken, wounded people and create a masterpiece. One piece alone, one broken person alone cannot do it. God takes all of us and puts us together, creating a beautiful and magnificent window, through which His Son can shine through. Thank God for His love of the stained glass people!

Neva