A heat wave, a piñata and a losing streak have one thing in common: They are better when they’re broken. But when broken touches my life, better may take a while. The disruption displaces what was. What was lost feels irreplaceable. Circumstances begin to look unwinnable.

From personal trauma to relationship drama, on some level, we’ve all been broken.

But there are grace-filled possibilities if we’re willing to be broken in all the right places.

At first, the cracks in my soul seem to widen until I start to see better in the making.

Faith always offers the best view.

A new normal challenges my old patterns of thinking by prompting me to grow and adapt. I’m positioned to pivot towards new perspectives and a stronger resolve.

Sometimes as a precaution, I put on a harness of emotional safety. Pulling the straps tightly, it’s easy to say “No, thank you.” to growth and adaptation.

And hesitate at the pivot.

Eventually, life pulls me in. As my daily routine whistles a tune, I go through the motions while going unmended.

Maybe you’re wearing that harness or you know someone who’s harness bound.  Ideally, we rise to life’s occasions with a good grip on reality and a steady resolve.

But if our grip starts to lose traction, the writer of Psalm 51:16-17 helps us to see God:

Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice. – Psalm 51:16–17 MSG

I don’t want the wonder of these verses to escape me. We may not choose what breaks us. But we can choose to be broken in all the right places:

Pride-shattered lives become servant minded souls.

Heart-shattered lives become ready for Love.

Self-centered hearts become Christ-centered thrones.

And what we’re becoming is a process.

Because pain can drive us into the arms of God or drive us into the abyss of our own understanding. At pivotal points in my life, I’ve taken each of these drives — especially when I consider what’s least desirable or the least likely to happen.

And yet, as I’m broken open to the Lord, I receive His peace, comfort and guidance. But if I fall for something else, eventually I’m broken down under the weight of endless pressure and painful conclusions.

What happens when the pieces of your life lose their position?

Seeking godly counsel from friends or professionals is helpful.  But the pivot still awaits. It turns us towards the Healer.

If we allow Love to break through, fear, bitterness, grief and guilt all crumble under the weight of His glory.

The unwanted becomes an unimaginable encounter with God’s grace.

What looked unwinnable is overcome by His unlimited power.

As I sense His sovereign grip upon my life, I realize not one detail has escaped God’s notice. He sees the cracks in my soul. He sees yours too. He knows what caused them — even if we struggle to say them out loud.

But say them I must. There is deliverance in my declaration.

And whether there is sin damage or some other disruption, His answer is always Christ’s redemption.

Such breakthrough leads to God-worship.

I love him back. Not just with my words but with my life.

As I see and serve the Christ who died and rose for me, I experience His healing for my heartache and His strength for my hard decisions.

Loneliness leaves and a sweet fellowship with Him surfaces.

Fear takes a hike. Doubt takes the hint and leaves too.

My believing heart beats with anticipation while my soul is at rest.

The harness that hid me is no longer needed when I’m broken in all the right places. Whatever shatters becomes firmly secured by the promises of God, giving me hope for the heart and joy to the soul.