Blessed and broken

Blessings alone do not open our eyes. Indeed, blessings by themselves tend to close our eyes. We do not come to know Him in the blessing, but in the breaking. --Chip Brogden

Everything was just fine for the first 40 years or so. Well, all four of my grandparents died, and my young cousin died, and there was that pesky abduction. Other than that, life was without major sadness, disease, heartbreak, or other mayhem. I married the person I thought was the love of my life and had two incredible children. Life was full of blessings and I didn’t think I really needed God.

Then all hell broke loose. The love of my life crumbled, cheated on me more than once, and our marriage ended. Then he died. I lost my job. My father died. My roof caved in. My brother was murdered.

And somewhere in there, in the breaking, when I thought I had nothing left, I found God.

In the midst of the heartbreak there is so much good. Yes, indeed the barn has burned down but now I can see the moon. There are so many blessings—my little house (roof fixed), my garden, my cooking, my books, my music, my faithful friends, my church, my family, my God.