Recovery is the process of regaining possession or control of something stolen or lost. Emotional trauma steals our ability to trust God and others. It damages our confidence and causes us to erect walls that limit the expression of authentic identity. Over time, brokenness compounds, and we begin to feel like we have lost ourselves somewhere along the way.
The best road to recovery is when God’s glory re-covers you in a wounded or broken area.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
—2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
Take heart. No matter how damaged something seems, no matter how far it feels from the original design or that there is no possible way a situation could ever come out good, God’s miraculous power to heal, restore, and save shows up.
God will soothe you with the balm of Gilead, hold you in the palm of His hands, and cover you—re-cover you—beneath His wings. He is a God of restoration, and He wants to restore you.
In His hands, all your broken, shattered pieces can become a masterpiece. Think of a mosaic with all its bits of broken glass and shards of pottery. None of those items are whole any longer. What they were created for has long since yielded to whatever circumstance now has them in pieces.
Yet, the artist takes all those broken pieces and fashions something new and magnificent from them. True, what they once were, they will never be again. But instead of mourning what has been lost, surrender to the possibilities of what can be instead.
The Japanese practice the art of Kintsugi—the art of repair. In the late 15th century, it is said that a Japanese shogun sent a favorite tea bowl back to China for repairs. It was returned to him, repaired by ugly metal staples. Artists removed the pins and put all the delicate ceramic pieces back together with gold. So, rather than hiding the flaws, they highlighted them. This ancient art has turned ordinary pottery into valuable art. It is the practice of embracing what is flawed and imperfect, and it is a beautiful representation of how we can reframe hard circumstances. Rather than remaining a victim, we recover all our worth and then some.
Recovery is God’s plan for you. Joy is available. Hope is tangible. Let God “Re-Cover” you with His glory so your restoration can be complete!