By Kathi Pelton
This morning I was pondering the broken places that we all have as human beings that live in a world with such profound brokenness. I am so deeply aware of my personal shortcomings and areas that I still allow brokenness to narrate my view.
Yet, as I look back over the many years of living in the redemptive love of God, I am overwhelmed by the deep healing and freedom that He has brought me into. It has been a journey through highs, lows, successes and failures. It hasn’t been perfect by any means but His grace, mercy, forgiveness and love have made even the broken places beautiful. How can it not be beautiful when it has been been covered by such kindness and love? The Lord’s great mercy is like a beautiful garment that has covered His bride’s brokenness and her vulnerable places.
Right now my husband and I are away on our fortieth wedding anniversary trip. As I look back over forty years of a covenant love, where we spoke the words, “For better or worse, in sickness or health— till death parts us.” I am humbled and so very grateful that we have made it through every one of those things together. We have experienced the best of each other and the worst of each other— but when the worst came forth— we held onto the One who we know will overlay beauty on our brokenness. How could we point a finger of judgment at the other when we were so aware of our personal shortcomings and how Jesus has covered our nakedness with garments of purity and His righteousness?
We have not made it for forty years because of our goodness or our ability to love one another well— but because of His kindness and His unconditional love. It is because Jesus has come to cover our brokenness with His beauty.
Sometimes the body of Christ wants to hide the fact that “we, the redeemed” still have broken areas or vulnerable places— but we do and it is in those very places that His beauty comes and covers— and makes us dependent upon His kindness. We don’t have to hide them because He covers them.
After forty years of walking hand in hand with Jesus and with my husband— I still desperately need love to cover my humanity and the broken places. As the Lord’s love and my husband’s love has covered me— I can truly say that I have become beautifully broken and a perfume of redemption flows from those very places.
Your brokenness can become like the alabaster jar that when broken releases a perfume of love and gratitude that fills the whole room.
That is what Mary did when she poured the costly perfume over the feet of Jesus. She knew who she was and what she’d done— yet, she received from the Lord only love, redemption and eyes that looked at her with absolute purity.
That is how He sees you! Let the fragrance of gratitude pour out from the broken places that have been covered in His beautiful grace. Oh, how He loves you.
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Oceans in the Desert 
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