I recently read something on the internet that blessed my soul, and I wanted to share it with you. A young man had a ‘God Moment’ after witnessing an incident at a store. God moments are awesome. It’s that moment that God speaks to you in some unique way and you have to look up and say, “I know that was You, God!” So here is one of those times. (Warning, you may need tissues.)
“I was in Dollar Tree last night and there was a lady and two kids behind me in the LONG waiting line. One was a big kid, one was a toddler. The bigger one had a pack of glow sticks and the baby was screaming for them so the Mom opened the pack and gave him one, which stopped his tears. He walked around with it smiling, but then the bigger boy took it and the baby started screaming again. Just as the Mom was about to fuss at the older child, he bent the glow sticks and handed it back to the baby. As we walked outside at the same time, the baby noticed that the stick was now glowing and his brother said “I had to break it so you could get the full effect from it.” I almost ran because l could hear God saying to me, “I had to break you to show you why I created you. You had to go through it so you could fulfill your purpose.” That little baby was happy just swinging that “unbroken” glow stick around in the air because he didn’t understand what it was created to do…which was “glow”. There are some people who will be content just “being”, but some of us that God has chosen, we have to be “broken”. We have to get sick. We have to lose a job. We go through divorce. We have to bury our spouse, parents, best friend, or our child because, in those moments of desperation, God is breaking us but when the breaking is done, then we will be able to see the reason for which we were created. It really takes a child often to teach us lessons as adults for the things we forget.”
Oh yes, I cried as I read this because it was something my soul needed at that moment. Then I thought of Jesus, who was more broken than anyone, as He was beaten, flogged, spit upon, mocked and nailed to a cross, bleeding and suffering, almost unrecognizable. He was crushed in body and spirit as all the sin of the world was on Him. The perfect one who knew no sin, had become sin on that cross, your sin and mine, from the beginning of time until He makes all things new. Even God, The Father, had to turn away, causing Jesus to cry out, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me!
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46
Yes, Jesus was broken, BUT with His brokenness, Salvation was offered to every person on earth. Think about it. What if Jesus, as fully man, changed His mind and didn’t want to go through with The Fathers plan? Remember His agony in the garden of Gethsemane? Luke 22:42 “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
Where would we be had He not said, “Never the less, Your will be done. “We would still be lost, without hope. Jesus’ brokenness brought eternal salvation to the entire world. Through His brokenness, He defeated sin and death, offering us forgiveness and eternal life. Your brokenness will fulfill a plan for which you were created as well. Believe me, I know suffering is probably the hardest thing we can go through, no matter what causes it. But know this. God has a plan. Submit to His will for your life, and you will discover the amazing things He can do though you. YOU ARE LOVED!