Repaired with Gold

Most people would say that I have a perfect life.... and that is almost true. I have great parents and great siblings. I have a nice house and a wonderful job that I love, but my life hasn't been devoid of pain. There has been many times that I wondered "Why is this happening to me?" so many times I questioned if being a Christian was really worth it and even times that I suffered in a small way for Christ. In the last 6 months, I have sometimes found myself laying on my bed curled up crying, begging God  to come and fix it. I have been so lonely, dragged so deeply into depression and hurt by people I thought cared about me.

But during one of these times it seemed like the Lord clearly spoke to my heart saying

Dearest, I have a plan for your life. You don't understand it, but I do. My plans  have the perfect ending. You and me meeting face to face. You will finally see me in all my splendor but you will love me because you have known me on the earth. You will stand all the dirt and stains of this awful existence gone away. The scars on your heart, even the ones that almost killed you, will be traced with gold. For it is those times that you suffered for me.

I thought that was such a beautiful concept. The times that we suffer for God, He remembers and they are precious to Him. They are like gold all the trials that you face because you are a Christian. 

Today as I was looking through Pinterest before work... (yes I know I have a problem) I saw this: 

And I thought "That's me! This is what he meant!" He allows us to be broken, unfixable so that He can repair us with gold.

   All of a sudden a piece that had little to no worth suddenly becomes priceless. It is immediately worth more than all the other plates that look just like it. But it first has to be broken. It has to shatter and be picked up by a skillful hand and put back together.

God believes the same thing about you. Because you have suffered, because your heart has been damaged, broken, unwanted, God sees it as beautiful. He makes it beautiful, by putting the pieces back together and fixing all the wrong. And when you get to Heaven, you will see how all of those times are traced with gold and you will be able to present the Lord with a heart that is more precious because it was broken and repaired with gold.