The colours of tough times

18 August 2022

The broken pieces of our lives can make a beautiful whole 

Words Belinda Davis 

Some years ago, I was studying a chaplaincy course. The instructors set a creative assignment based on identifying how people and events had influenced our lives and impacted our faith. As soon as I heard the task parameters, I knew what I would make and what it would depict. 

The picture above shows part of my creativity, and the following words are the explanation that goes with this quilted wall hanging: 

One of the influential people in my life told me that tough times colour life, but the colour is up to me. I came to faith as a six-year-old, and so the cross in my wall hanging represents my connection to Jesus. This has been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember. It takes the central position in my window, and the rest of my life experiences fit around it. 

The broken pieces of glass represent things that have happened in my life – some good, some not so good. I could choose to view the broken pieces as rubbish and not worth very much, but they could also be seen as useful ingredients in the bigger picture of my faith journey. 

Glass edges are sharp and can cause injury, so I need to take care when I piece these shards into the window. To work out where they fit into my spiritual journey, I need to turn them over and around and ponder how they help form the overall design of my life. This examination can cause further pain. 

We can learn through every experience in life, but I have found that it’s in the times of pain and despair that I learn the most about who I am and how I view God and our relationship. There are gaps in the window to remind me that the journey is not yet over. There will still be moments of pain and, therefore, more opportunities to grow. 

Basically, my creation demonstrates that Jesus is central in my life, and he helps my life make sense and be seen as a thing of beauty. 

Be assured that God can use the broken pieces of your life to make something remarkable for others to see. He can do it for you because I am amazed every day that he has done it for me. I choose to allow tough times to bring colour to my life and share that beauty with others. 

Major Belinda Davis is a Salvation Army officer (pastor) in South Australia. She blogs at a-blessed-life.