Have you ever felt despair? Wondered if you’d rise from the low places? Maybe you look over your life and all you see are broken promises, shattered dreams, and lost relationships. Do you feel like you’re drifting through life on broken pieces? You wonder if you’ll ever find a place of wholeness. While this place feels hopeless, there’s actual hope. Great things come from broken pieces. Puzzles consist of plenty of broken pieces. Even some jewelry and vases derive from pieces that were once broken. Therefore, if beauty comes from brokenness, then you already have the pieces necessary. Although brokenness doesn’t feel good, beauty will rise despite what’s missing.
The Story: Acts 27
In Acts 27, Paul, a prisoner on a ship, headed to Italy so he could stand trial before Caesar. The ship stopped in Sidon where Paul obtained favor from the guard, who allowed him to visit with friends for refreshment. Once the ship and its passengers left Sidon, they headed for Cyprus. This leg of the journey was tumultuous as the fierce winds blew. Because of the weathers conditions, Paul and the others on board transferred to another ship. They set sail again and continued to encounter rough seas.
While in Lasea, Paul admonished the ship’s crew of the need to remain where they were because for the potential loss of ship and life. They disregarded his words as the place wasn’t ideal for the winter. Nevertheless, the ship pressed on and endured raging sea and fierce winds.
Because of the weather conditions, they threw supplies overboard to lighten the ship’s weight. Their efforts were no match for nature’s dance. After several days of tossing, Paul notified the ship’s crew that he had a word from God and stated, “You should’ve listened to him earlier. Nevertheless, be of good cheer for there will be no loss of life although the ship won’t survive.” The crew continued to do everything they could to survive the treacherous sea. Some wanted to evacuate on a lifeboat, but Paul warned them that their only chance of survival was on the ship. At one point, they wanted to throw Paul and another prisoner overboard, but again Paul found favor. When they were finally close to land, some swam to shore while others arrived safely on boards and broken pieces.
The Lesson
Paul and the 275 people arrived safely to land. No, a ship didn’t bring them. God used what remained to save their lives. We often look for the big things and negate the small ones. Unfortunately, we focus on what we lost rather than celebrating what we still have left. In addition, the broken pieces remind us that all isn’t lost.
Instead of mourning the bumps and bruises we experienced along the way, let’s celebrate that God was with us then and He’s still with us now. Let’s allow the broken pieces to remind us how far we’ve come. Therefore, those pieces serve as a memorial that if we made it through that, we can survive anything even if only broken pieces remain.
