Beauty in brokeness 

I used to be content to hide behind walls. My heart was encased behind a castle of glass that ensured my safety all the while keeping people at a safe distance. Those walls have slowly but surely been shattered to the ground. The glass shards that once meant protection are now found laying useless among a garden that for so long had been craving light and fresh air. I can no longer hide behind transparency, for my heart has been exposed in a process of planting new flowers and letting the gentle breeze uncover the beauty that for so long had been buried and hidden from sight. 

Yet the very love that brought freedom and healing was not about to overlook the lies and fears that had also been brought to the surface. I found that no matter how much I craved freedom, healing only comes with going deep and often times going deep means admitting our brokenness. It means looking at our past instead of running away because in order to pull up the lies that have taken root we must first be honest with ourselves and those around us. 

Yet I think we are all just broken people, Flowers billowing in the wind. Trying to grow roots but usually failing to hold ourselves together because we’ve been taught to run from our pasts and to let silence take hold. From a young age many of us are told what to look like and how to present ourselves, which so often steals our voice and masks our beauty. We are told to chase perfection, but yet perfection is the very thing that has become the chains around our feet. Our insecurities have caused us to hide behind wall after wall, for to be broken is so often looked upon as a weakness. Yet I think all along it is meant to be celebrated as the platform for grace to come in to help us rebuild our past and to restore our hearts.
How beautiful is it to be truly broken, to be humbled at the way life doesn’t usually look like a fairy tale. To be broken is to admit that we can’t grow without the sunshine calling out the beauty within us, some water to come fill our empty cracks with good soil and a few faithful friends to remind us we aren’t walking alone. Once we learn to let go of our ideals of perfection we will allow true growth to come in to heal our hearts. A growth that thrives off of vulnerability and stays rooted no matter what storms come its way.
We were never made to be silent , this world I think is so often scared of the power our voices hold. Yet the time is now and silence is no longer an excuse to just exist. We were made to be broken, to feel, to cry. We were made for so much more then the silence that has become accepted as normal. There is a joy to be found in hearts that are authentic and brave because through all of life’s struggles there is a God whose love brings us to life. 
A love that isn’t scared by the walls we put up but rather is committed to helping us tear them down so that we can truly thrive and our voices can be heard. When we allow fear to take root and find ourselves trying to rebuild those walls, we are always met by a grace that whispers purpose and strength into our tired and weary hearts. The time has come to stand up to fear and to put one foot in front of the other, allowing people to join in this journey of walking in freedom. Your voice was never meant to stay hidden and I think you will find that the more you speak up, the less you are afraid of silence. You will begin to realize just how beautiful this life is, even the messy parts and that our brokenness and vulnerability is just the beginning of new growth and the freedom to live authentically.