Ice Hockey, Karaoke and Broken Pottery

Mentors and mentees in Martins Ferry, Ohio, enjoyed an ice hockey game recently while youth in Ocala, Florida, had fun bowling and laughing over karaoke.

Kenosha/Racine/Milwaukee T.R.A.C.life made pottery and talked about kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery using glittering liquid gold or lacquer dusted with powdered gold.

Rather than hide the broken places, the pieces are joined together using the precious metal, gold. The imperfections are honored as part of the pottery’s history, and the result is stronger and more beautiful than the original.

Elizabeth Hanna, T.R.A.C.life director, shared how the same is true for us. Sometimes in life we go through heart-breaking experiences that leave us shattered and broken. She read Isaiah 64:8. “O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.”

Like kintsugi, God restores us, taking our broken places and mending them together with pure gold, turning us into new creations. It’s okay to embrace our hurts and imperfections because in the end, these scars end up being the most beautiful part of us because God can use these very places to bring hope to others.

What a powerful message!