Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall,
all the King’s horses and
all the King’s men
couldn’t put Humpty back together again

He was an egg, and when eggs fall apart it seems impossible to get them back into shape. Well, the thing about us is that in a lot of ways we are equally as fragile with a hard outer shell that is far easier to crack than we like to admit. Which brings me to this: what happens in those moments when we do crack; in those situations that cause us to scatter and fall? What happens to us? Is the falling apart the end of the story? . . . It doesn’t have to be. In fact, if we handle it right it could be the beginning of something powerful.

When we discover fire in the cold, the value of that heat increases for us. When we find hope in the face of impossible heartache, then survival begins to mean something else altogether for us. When we discover strength in the wake of great weakness, then overcoming begins to take shape for us. Now, no matter what we face, with God we possess the ability to pull all the pieces back into place. In fact, in moments of true grief, great pain and overwhelming heartache we have this “opportunity” to become the beauty that emerges from ashes. We may have our frailties but we are not Humpty Dumpty. We have had great falls but we are strong enough to find hope.

Always remember that God gives beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isa 61: 3).

MizJAI . . . wiping off the ashes and moving on to beauty