Brokenness and beauty

The other day, as Kristi and I headed to Dilli and Bhuma’s house, we saw two Iraqi kids playing outside. As we walked closer, we saw a beer bottle shattered right where they were playing.

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I attempted to warn them not to play there, but the communication barrier thwarted my attempts. Then I saw a little 2-year-old boy had the bottom of the glass bottle in his hand. As I took it from him, I saw blood on his fingers. He wasn’t crying. He didn’t look hurt, even though he was bleeding. He just stared blankly at me. Maybe he just wanted someone to notice, to acknowledge that he was there.

Maybe the things that he had seen already in his short life numbed the pain. Maybe he thought that he was in trouble, so he shouldn’t cry. I don’t know, but it stuck with me.

I picked him up, and ran over to his mother in an apartment about 20 yards away. She thanked me while his father came out and yelled at the little girl to get away from the glass shards. Kristi and I picked them up and made our way to Dilli and Bhuma’s house.

I washed a few drips of blood off my hands, and sat silently reflecting in Dilli and Bhuma’s house.

Is it too small a thing that we try to share the gospel of truth with the Bhutanese?

Maybe it is not that we, personally, should try to save all nations… but that is God’s plan. He is not content with simply reaching the Bhutanese. God wants all nations to come to salvation, all nations to glorify Him.     

I also learned that we ought to consider things not from an earthly point of view, but from a heavenly one; and to “think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth” (Colossians 3:2). There is so much beauty over at the apartments, and even more potential for beauty. God is present and active in the lives of Bhutanese, Iraqis, Somalians, Americans—all of humanity. God is restoring his creation. He is redeeming his people, and saving and sanctifying through Jesus Christ.

The other day, I saw a beautiful tree made from broken beer bottles. I think that's what God does, and calls us to do—make beautiful things out of pieces of broken creation.

Matthew Johnston, a student at Wayland Baptist University, is serving as a Go Now missionary with Segue, a ministry to refugees.


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