#beautifullybroken by: Julie Wicker
In Mark Batterson’s book, Draw the Circle, he says; “Going back to places of spiritual significance should be a part of our spiritual rhythm. Going back to places of spiritual significance can help us find our way forward again.”

In January of 2018 we had our United Methodist Woman’s Refresh and Renew at HMUMC. If you go back and read the 1/24/18 blog post, Equipped for His Glory, Deborah shares about that experience. I was reminded this week that at the end of that weekend we handed out stones while the song, “Oh Come to the Altar” played. Some of the lyrics read like this;
Are you hurting and broken within?
Have you come to the end of yourself?
Oh come to the Altar, the fathers arms are open wide. Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Bear your cross as you wait for your crown. Tell the earth of the treasure you have found

When we handed out those stones, we talked about how some were smooth, and some were rough looking and broken. Both beautiful in their own way. One of the dictionary meanings reads, “A piece of stone shaped for a purpose, especially one of commemoration, ceremony, or demarcation”. What a beautiful reminder that we are all shaped for a purpose. What an even more beautiful altar of remembrance to carry around with us.

If we go back to a place of spiritual significance, we could start “with last night when Jesus and the Disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus went to this place of significance to pray. We read in Mark 14: 35-36, Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible, the hour might pass from him. “Abba, father, he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” What a beautiful yet somber picture painted in our minds. Jesus chose a Garden, a quiet place to pray, to cry out to our Abba Father.

Another place of spiritual significance we could return to is the tomb where Sunday just after sunrise Mary of Magdalene and Mary the Mother of James will have discovered that the stone has been rolled away. We read this in Mark 16:4-6, “They looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed”, he said. “you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen. He is not here. See the place where they laid him”. This paints a beautiful picture of victory. A significant place for us to be reminded that He is alive. A significant place to be reminded that whatever your stones consist of, they too can be rolled away.

What stones do you have in your life that need to be rolled away?
Where is your place of spiritual significance that you need to return to?

Let’s go to our place of spiritual significance to pray and ask our Abba Father to take this cup. Let’s go to the garden and paint our broken stones with the beautiful image we find through His eyes and not our human eyes. We are all beautifully broken within, made in His image and for His purpose.

2018 Refresh & Renew; Another beautiful place to return to!

This picture of three beautifully broken friends recently appeared on Deborah’s Time hop which was taken at the Refresh & Renew. God created us for a relationship and fellowship. Its always good to share our brokenness, our testimonies with our closest friends.