Our flaws or scars are symbols of our inner strength, beauty, and courage. They simply show that we have suffered pain, learned from it, and mustered enough strength, courage and wisdom to be able to recover and move forward.
I chanced upon these captivating lines on a social media post:
“In Japan, broken objects are often repaired with gold. The flaw is seen as a unique piece of the object’s history, which adds to its beauty. Consider this when you feel broken.”
Such a treasure trove of truism – no doubt about it. Inevitably in life, circumstances or other people sometimes cause us to be “broken” through disappointment, frustration, or despair. But it is through our broken self that we can gain inner strength and embrace the path of healing.
Our flaws or scars are symbols of our inner strength, beauty, and courage. They simply show that we have suffered pain, learned from it, and mustered enough strength, courage and wisdom to be able to recover and move forward. They prove that we can handle anything that life throws at us.
From a theological perspective, brokenness – as a factor of our humanity – lets us see inside, where true beauty lies, and discover the magnificent soft turns and intricate work of the Creator typically hidden by our outer shell.
Yes, albeit Psalm 139 tells us that “we are wonderfully made”, we are often caught in the quagmire of brooding over our imperfections, flaws and weaknesses, and forgetting the intricate beauty that God has placed within us.
But, how do we begin to see our brokenness as a blessing rather than a curse, a beauty mark rather than a scar?
Mary DeTurris Poust, author of several books on Catholic spirituality, has this answer: “It can happen only when we fully place ourselves in God’s hands and accept once and for all that we are indeed wonderfully made, even with – or maybe because of – our flaws and weaknesses, our wrinkles and quirks, our sins and struggles. God doesn’t love us only after we are ‘fixed’. God loves us into being and loves us through our imperfections, patiently waiting for us to climb on board and revel in that gift. Unfortunately, we are too often caught up in the mirage of wholeness, the mistaken belief that a perfect outer shell will make us more lovable.”
The imperative of brokenness, DeTurris Poust lastly points out, enables us to behold our inner beauty:
“We are all shattered in one way or another. We are all incomplete, missing pieces here and there. But we are all beautiful. In fact, we are more beautiful because of it. Who wants polished perfection that belies the truth of what’s inside when you can have the raw power of beauty that’s broken because it has lived and loved and lost and carried on in spite of it all? Be broken and be beautiful.”
Tags: #opinion, #columns, #InspiredandBlessed, #humanflaws