31. Gold in the Broken Places (Claim Your Freedom #13)

Kintsukuroi.

Google it.

It’s a Japanese art form in which broken pottery is repaired. Rather than restoring the piece to look as if it’s never been damaged (which is, really, impossible), the artisan injects gold into all of the cracks as the pottery is being put back together. The flaws are accentuated, celebrated. In other words, not only are they not hidden, they’re actually highlighted.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

No. The scars don’t determine the shape or design of the vessel… they don’t control it’s purpose, but they’re there. And they’re there to see.

The “new” version of the pottery looks like the old, but better. It’s simultaneously more raw and more beautiful than the original, “untainted” version.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Can’t miss Paul’s analogy that we’re earthen vessels, pottery with some sort of majesty inside, waiting to come forth (see 2 Corinthians 4:7f.).

And the way it comes forth? By facing- and working through- the hard things (2 Corinthians 4:8f.).

Maybe that’s why Paul delights in weaknesses- because that’s where strength shines (2 Corinthians 12:10). That’s where grace shines brightest.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grace + healing + wholeness… is the gold. It means our imperfections now serve a greater purpose than the pain and shame originally created.

But… the hitch…

In pottery, the gold can only be placed where there are cracks to be filled.

❌ No crack, no space.

❌ No space, no gold to fill the void.

✅ Brokenness is THE thing to which grace almost exclusively bonds.