Five Minute Friday ~ Whole

Ever noticed there's a "hole" in the word "whole?"

I hadn't, but then I typed "w... h... o... l... e... " as a part of the title of this blog post, wondering what in the world I was going to write about...

... and I thought about a song I hadn't heard in a really, really long time.

But, first a bit of context... pieces of a conversation this past week, between myself and another mama of third culture kids... and a song this other mama shared with me about how we are all broken people who become broken parents who then break their children. I get the point, but I don't think that word picture gives the right picture.

My kids know I'm an imperfect parent. Inadvertently as well as sometimes very much by choice and out of anger - I do things that hurt, or in the above terminology, "break" my children. Afterwards, I apologize - probably need to do so more than I actually do - and ask forgiveness. So I get what this other mama, my friend, was saying, but I disagree, for there is a very large, very key, difference:

We are all BORN broken.

We live surrounded by people who were also born broken and struggle with that brokenness every single moment of every single day. My parents didn't break me... they did (occasionally still do) things that hurt me. It breaks my heart to say this, but until the day I die, I will probably continue to do things that hurt the very ones I love most, including and particularly, my children.

There's only one road to completeness, wholeness and healing, that road is the work of God in our hearts and lives - and even his work is a process that is not completed in this lifetime.

So...I don't want to "accept" myself as I am.

I DO want to see myself truly as I am...
I DO want recognize my brokenness...
I DO want to know who I was before Jesus...
I DO want to see with ever growing clarity what Christ HAS DONE...
I DO want to comprehend who I am - in Him, now and forever...
and then I DO want Him to begin His process of transformation in me.

I DO NOT believe "it" - however you want to define it: life, ministry, parenting, etc. -  is about me, my story, my voice...

but, as I heard someone somewhere last weekend say,

"It is all about His story lived in and through me."

And so, now back to that song, called "Unredeemed ~ "

The cruelest word, the coldest heart
The deepest wound, the endless dark
The lonely ache, the burning tears
The bitter nights, the wasted years

Life breaks and falls apart
But we know these are

For every choice that led to shame
And all the love that never came
For every vow that someone broke
And every life that gave up hope

We live in the shadow of the fall
But the cross says these are all

Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled, it may be unrestored
But when anything that's shattered
Is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see, it will not be unredeemed

Oh, He will wipe every tear
Will not be, be unredeemed

Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled, it may be unrestored
But you never know the miracle the Father has in store
Just watch and see, it will not be
Just watch and see, it will not be unredeemed


When, as God redeems, every hole will be filled and we will be made whole.

It is something He must do.

Thankfully, He promises...

(PS In case you were wondering, this post took more than 5 minutes... probably more like 8!)