“It’s the broken places where God’s grace seeps into the crevices.”

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book, Double Blessing (p. 85). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

That is such a good thought, isn’t it?  Especially if you are in a broken place.

Mark continues, “It’s the broken places where God uses us to help others heal. It’s the broken places where God is breaking ground for a bigger blessing.”

Kintsugi

He goes on, “There is an ancient Japanese art form called kintsugi that repairs broken pieces of pottery by filling the cracks with a lacquer made from powdered gold. The dysfunctions are not disguised. The cracks are celebrated with golden seams. It’s those cracks that give the repaired pottery its unique character! As you count your blessings, don’t forget the broken places, the broken pieces!

“Like plants that miraculously manage to grow through the cracks in concrete, the blessings of God are irrepressible. His blessings have a way of surfacing here, there, and everywhere! But it takes a good eye to spot blessings in disguise.”

He then says, “Let me double back to Joseph. The story ends with a double blessing—two nations saved from famine. That doesn’t right every wrong that Joseph endured, but it does redeem them!

“There is a second double blessing that is far more subtle but no less significant. Joseph learned the importance of blessing from his father, Jacob—the same Jacob who wrestled with God. I can picture Jacob limping all the way from Canaan to Egypt, leaning on his walking stick. The most surprising moment of Jacob’s life—and perhaps the greatest moment—was discovering that the son he thought was dead and buried was alive and well. Even more amazing, Joseph was Pharaoh’s second-in-command. Jacob knew enough to know that this kind of promotion can come from only God, a by-product of blessing. Imagine the wellspring of emotions that both Joseph and Jacob must have experienced that day! What happens next is easily overlooked, but it’s a substantial subplot. ‘Joseph brought in his father, Jacob, and presented him to Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.’ (Genesis 47:7, NLT) What did Jacob do? Jacob blessed Pharaoh. That’s what people who have been blessed by God do! They flip the blessing they fought for! But Jacob doesn’t just bless Pharaoh coming in, he blesses Pharaoh going out. ‘Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before leaving his court.’ (Genesis 47:10, NLT) Jacob pronounced a double blessing on Pharaoh!”

Mark says, “What if we bookended every encounter the same way Jacob did? What if we blessed people at hello and blessed them again at goodbye? I have a hunch that more appointments would turn into divine appointments! I bet we’d find favor with a few more Pharaohs too!

And I think that is true, don’t you? 

Yes, yes!